EphraimNuwamanya, Yona Baguma, National Agriculture Research Organisation, P.O Box 7084, Kampala- Uganda

wamanya@hotmail.com, baguma1234@yahoo.com

Agriculture is the back bone of African economies

Related agriculture and food products support a greater part of other sectors of the economy

This poses challenges to the environmental and is uncompetitive both nationally and internationally

Thus there is need for resource use diversification and sustainable utilization of crop based products

Agriculture support sectors (ICT, Industrial

research, environmental studies,

and indigenous knowledge)

Available technology,

Traditional technology,

Improvement and blending of technologies

Resource based

chemical industry

driving a bio-economy

African countries are running on an informally run crop based a pseudo bio-economy

Potential to augment the already anticipated independence from agriculture led economy

Resources to be exploited still need to be identified and developed

A GOOD EXAMPLE IS EXPLOITING HIGH BIOMASS CROP BASED SOURCES SUCH AS CASSAVA

This crop is grown widely in Africa

New industrial proven and scalable bioprocesses and systems are available

Cassava is adaptable to various bioprocessing organisms for industrial products production

Economic feasibility of the processes involved in exploitation of cassava already proven

Bio-product (specifically food based and bio-fuels) production processes already established

Cassava starch and starch processing wastes have an established significant industrial value

Area harvested (Ha) (A) Pdn Quantity (tonnes) (Q)

14.03

7.50

14.05

16.72

12.82

10.00

12.02

6.56

14.7913.22

Ratio (Q/A)With reduced disease

loads and development of

varieties with high

productivity, area

harvested and production

quantities are expected to

double

Source:

FAOSTAT, 2013

Latin America Africa Asia

50% 30%20%

More than 35 African CountriesLatin America Africa

10t/Ha 19t/Ha12t/Ha

High rate of carbon dioxide fixation and sugar synthesis

Can easily be manipulated for high yield, even through transgenesis

Has already been adapted by farmers in SSA

Can tolerate various abiotic conditions

Has low water and fertilizer requirements

Resistance to plant pathogens (minimal effects observed)

High biomass output which can be utilized in bio-processing

Product Moisture Protein Lipid Fiber Ash Carbohydrate

Roots (whole) 59-70 2.5-2.9 0.1-0.7 0.4-1.6 0.3-1.0 84-89.5

Chips 12-18 2.0-2.4 0.2-0.5 2.0-6.0 1.0-4.2 68-80

Flour 11-18 0.7-1.4 0.3-0.5 6.0-9.0 1.2-1.8 77-83.5

Leaves 5-8 17-27 0.15-0.35 14-19 5.5-8.5 68-78

Peels 5.0-6.2 8.1-8.7 3-3.5 12.0-13.8 6.0-6.5 75-85

Stems 2-8 5-10 3-3.9 27-40 8-10 50-65

High

carbohydrate =

high energy

products

Low protein, lipid and Ash = easy

processing, low processing costs,

high product quality

Projected

increments in

yield expected in

major cassava

growing areas

Movement into

non-traditional

cassava growing

areas

Animal feed

(Compounding agent)

Biofuel/Local bioethanol

Sugar substitutes

Pharmaceuticals

Adhesives

Biodegradables

Ply wood

Paper

Textile

Food

Starch for food,

noodles, sauce

Sizing and Printing

Pressing, flattening,

polishing

Gluing and binding

Packaging material

Compounding agent

Liquor, medical, fuel

Sucrose substitutes

Binder for a.i

Glues, adhesive agents

Wholesome use of cassava plant

Foliage

•Human food

•Livestock feed

•Protein

supplement

•Biofuel

•FertilizerRoots

•Unique starches

•Carotenoids

•Protein

•Biofuel

•Extended

secondary product

uses

Stem

Planting material,

lignocellulose

material for

biofuel

Identification

• Bio prospecting

• Bioactivity

• Bioinformatics

• Molecular modelling

• Other means

Production

• Yield

• Cost

• Consistency

• Sustainability

• Resource management

• Resource genetics

Processing

• Extractions

• Separations

• Conversions

• Purification

• Refining

Utilization

Efficacy

Marketing

Regulation

Ethics

Standards

-Expertise

-High throughput assays

-Appropriate products

-Screening systems

-Starch characterizations

-Sufficient quantities

-Research and investments in production process

-Enhanced production traits

-Improvements in traditional processing

-Need for processing technologies

-Economic viable options

-Reduced operating costs

-Training

Change in perceptions on cassava product use

•Cassava starch

•Ligno-cellulosic material in stem and peels

Raw material

•Chemical

•Enzyme

•Physical and extractive

Treatment/process•Organics

•Amino acids

•Biopolymers

•Antibiotics

•Specialty chemicals

Products

•Food

•Feed

•Fiber

•Fuel

Application

• Bio-factories• Yeast

• Bacteria

• Fungi

•Milling

•Other physical treatment

Condition

•Enzyme hydrolysis

•Direct fermentation

Separation

Treatments

•Distillation

•Refinements

•Application

Fermentation

•Supporting environment

•Policy measures for R&D initiatives

Policy strategies

•Potential research areas

•Improve existing research efforts

Research strategies

Diversified

cassava-

based

products

Cassava

based

biotech

innovation

system

Effect of the exploitation processes on land and water availability need to be minimized or completely outdone

No negative interactions between the interventions and the existing economy

A comprehensive sustainability plan is needed before using cassava as chemical industry based bio resource

Potential sustainability and eco-efficiency issues can be pursued

Encouragement of decentralized and localized system

Use already existing and decentralized models such as ICT and environment (other case studies)

Investment Risks Small portion of products and services can be easily commercialized

Bureaucracy and standardization (for example inability to accept fuel blends)

Poor market to research linkages lead to product unacceptability

Inability to attract the relevant human resource Low technical competence in this field

Lack of talented and interested technology movers and product marketers

Technology challenges No relevant technologies for bio prospecting, bio analyses

Sustainability and environmental challenges

Agricultural pests and diseases

Low production and inadequate post-harvest management.

Limited use of appropriate proven technologies in agricultural production and post-harvest management (rudimentary production process).

Poor linkages between key actors in knowledge or innovation systems

Shortage of enterprenual skills

Poor marketing and communication strategies

Improving the technical competence of existing systems and institutions

Supporting product production processes and marketing

Supporting technology developments and improvement of available technology

Facilitating linkages in the knowledge/innovation systems

Improving marketing and communication strategies

Supporting trait development for industrial value

Fine tuning industrial processes for bio-products development