Exploring beyond the conjunctural rhetoric: sociocultural drivers for the “cassava crisis” in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Despite considerable improvement of food security in low- and middle-income countries over the last decades, food shortages remain persistent in sub-Saharan Africa. The driving forces are often related not only to climate change and other environmental hazards but also to socioeconomic and political factors. In Africa, food security has also assumed a strong urban dimension, raising new issues of physical and financial access to food. However, beyond the conjunctural rhetoric around unregulated food policies, social unrest, socio-economic difficulties, and environmental stresses, an emphasis should be put on socio-cultural aspects of food security. This would be possible through an analysis of “connectivities” between various stages and actors, i.e., food exchange practices between various socio-ecological spaces, and governance coordination in food security strategies. Based on a study on cassava shortage in Cote d’Ivoire in 2015-2016, this paper explores socio-cultural factors associated with food shortage in urban settings. Findings from a qualitative research approach comprising key-informant interviews and focus group discussion with various stakeholders in the cassava value chain revealed that food shortage cannot always be explained by supply/demand narratives. The study shows that cassava supply mechanisms in the Abidjan area are not sustainable as the main producers of cassava for sale are migrant workers employed in rubber plantations and whose stability in the region depends on prices of this cash crop on the international market. Regions at the vicinity of Abidjan are supplying the city with cassava but the offer does not meet the requirements of cassava-based food processors who need specific types of the product. Moreover, strategies from the municipal and government authorities to circumvent the shortage often face resistance of populations if local norms and values are not considered. In food strategies, sociocultural dynamics should be considered alongside the complex socioeconomic and environmental factors shaping the social geography of food supply in African cities.

Molecular Characterization of Cassava Mosaic Viruses and Current Mosaic Disease Concern in Three Major Cassava Production Areas in Côte D’ivoire

“…It is grown mainly for human consumption and animal feed but also industries used 3 . Yet, cassava has a strategic place in food security because it is one of the main subsistence crops in several African countries, including Côte d'Ivoire 4 . However, for decades, Ivorian cassava production has been threatened by Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD), which reduces considerably its yield.…”

Determining the drivers and deterrents of Climate-smart crop adoption: The case of cassava in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

“…Interestingly, these farmer perceptions encouraged the willingness to participate in commercial cassava production. Previous research (Ogunniyi, 2011;Isitor et al, 2017;Mobio et al, 2021;Opondo and Owuor, 2018) from other countries indicated that these perceptions formed hinderances to the industry's growth. Studies by Sewando et al (2011), Raufu et al, (2018), and Opondo and Owuor (2018 reported that societal norms determined the pattern of cassava adoption and commercialisation in African countries.…”

“…Nevertheless, precolonial misbeliefs may seep into the market and render the crop unattractive and drive the profitability of the cassava enterprises down. According to Ogunniyi (2011), Isitor et al (2017, Mobio et al (2021) and Opondo and Owuor (2018), cassava is believed to be suitable for consumption by the poor only because it has a low food value. It is also believed to have a bad omen from which consumers distance themselves from.…”

“…Mutyaba et al (2016) investigated the influence of formal policy institutions but did not venture into probing the influence of society's informal institutions or societal norms on cassava production. Societal norms (i.e., non-written rules in society) which take up forms of societal perceptions, gender biases, and class norms have been highlighted in past studies as influencing the space and pattern of cassava adoption (Nweke et al, 2002;Masamha et al, 2018;Mobio et al, 2021;Dankor et al, 2022) and they could have a significant bearing on the crop's adoption.…”

In silico analysis of mutations associated with genetic variability of the strain African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) in three departments of Cte dIvoire

“…Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is the largest staple food consumed by an estimated 800 million people worldwide (Alamu et al, 2019). It is grown almost everywhere in Côte d'Ivoire and is the country's second most important root crop after yam (Mobio et al, 2021).…”