GCP21
A Global Alliance
For the
Improvement of Cassava
105 Countries
Latin America Africa Asia
50% 30% 20%
Cassava Producing Countries
Productivity
Latin America Africa Asia
10t/Ha 19t/Ha 12t/Ha
Cassava Producing Countries
Surfaces
Latin America Africa Asia
12MHa 3.5MHa 3MHa
Cassava Producing Countries
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
1970 1980 1990 2000 2004 2008 2011
Cu
mu
lati
ve P
erc
en
tag
e I
ncre
ase
Productivity Increase of Cassava in the World
World Yield (T/Ha)
Africa Yield (T/Ha)
Asia Yield (T/Ha)
Latin Amer. Yield (T/Ha)
% I
ncre
ase /
Year
3.0%
2.5%
2.0%
1.5%
0.5%
1.0%
0.0%
Asia
Latin A
World
Africa
Cassava Productivity Highly Variable
80
120
160
200
240
280
320
360
1970 1980 1990 2000 2004 2008 2011
Cu
mu
lati
ve P
erc
en
tag
e I
ncre
ase
Production Increase of Cassava in the World
World Production (M Tons)
Africa Production (M Tons)
Asia Production (M Tons)
Latin Amer. Production (M Tons)
% I
ncre
ase /
Year
6.0%
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
1.0%
2.0%
0.0%
Asia
Latin A
World
Africa
Cassava Production Highly Variable
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
Pro
po
rtio
n o
f C
as
sa
va
Pro
du
cti
on
in
th
e W
orl
d
Proportion of Cassava Production in the World
Africa %
Americas %
Asia %
Asia
Latin A
Africa
Cassava Production in the World
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1970 1980 1990 2000 2004 2008 2011
Yie
ld In
cre
ase t
/Ha
Productivity Increase of Cassava in the World
Cambodia Yield (T/Ha)
Vietnam Yield (T/Ha)
India Yield (T/Ha)
Angola Yield (T/Ha)
Malawi Yield (T/Ha)
Cambodia
India
VietNam
Angola
Malawi
Cassava Productivity Highly Variable
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
1970 1980 1990 2000 2004 2008 2011
Yie
ld In
dex I
ncre
ase %
Productivity Increase of Cassava in the World
Cambodia Yield (T/Ha)
Vietnam Yield (T/Ha)
India Yield (T/Ha)
Angola Yield (T/Ha)
Malawi Yield (T/Ha)
% I
ncre
ase /
Year
6.0%
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
1.0%
2.0%
0.0%
7.0%
Cambodia
India
VietNam
Angola
Malawi
Cassava Productivity Highly Variable
80
120
160
200
240
280
320
360
1970 1980 1990 2000 2004 2008 2011
Cu
mu
lati
ve P
erc
en
tag
e I
ncre
ase
Production Increase of Cassava in Africa
Africa Yield (T/Ha)
Africa Production (M Tons)
Africa Area (M Ha)
% I
ncre
ase /
Year
6.0%
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
1.0%
2.0%
0.0%
Production : 350%
Surface = 200%
Productivity = 170%
Cassava Production in Africa
African Food Productivity Increase
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Wheat
Maize
Potatoes
Yams
Rice
Plantain
Cowpeas
Sorghum
Groundnuts
Millet
Sweet Potato
Cassava
Afr
ican
Fo
od
Pro
du
ctiv
ity
Incr
eas
e (
%)
African Food Productivity Increase (%)
4%
2%
0%
1%
3%
5%
African Food Productivity Increase
R² = 0.9802
R² = 0.97761
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
1961 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2011 2020 2030 2040 2050
Wheat
Cassava
Afr
ican
Fo
od
Pro
du
ctiv
ity
Incr
eas
e (
%)
African Food Productivity Increase (%)
15.4 t/Ha
2.2 b people
10.8 t/Ha
0.9 b people
African Food Productivity Increase
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Cu
mu
lati
ve P
erc
en
tag
e I
ncre
ase
Increase Cassava Indexes in Africa
Africa Yield (T/Ha)
Africa Production (M Tons)
Africa Area (M Ha)
% I
ncre
ase /
Year
12.0%
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
2.0%
4.0%
0.0%
426 Mt
1.9 b people 30 t/Ha
14.2 MHa
Staple food for more than 700 million people in 105 countries
World’s fourth-most important source of calories
Resilient to climate change and poor soils
World’s second-most important source of starch for industry
Most widely traded starch in the world
Vital cash crop for millions of smallholders in Asia and Latin America
Used in hundreds of products from flour, syrup, paper, glue, food additives, animal feed, ethanol and even beer!
Why Cassava?
What’s in for Cassava
- Yield potential
- Resilience to Global
Warming
- Resilience to poor soils
- Semi-perennial crop
- Starch quantity and quality
What’s out for Cassava
- Vegetative propagation
- Pests and diseases
- Lack of science and
technology
- Lack of markets
- Lack of organization
African Food Crops Potentials
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Cassava Sorghum Millet Sweet Potato
Plantain
Po
ten
tial P
rod
ucti
vit
y %
CHANGE IN
SUITABILITY
FOR MAIZE -
2050 Negative
Positive
Contrasting responses between
maize and cassava: 2-3oC temp
rises, changes in prec
Change In suitability for Maize 2050
CHANGE IN
SUITABILITY
FOR CASSAVA
- 2050 Negative
Positive
Change In suitability for Cassava 2050
Bemisia tabaci
Current
2050
1-No suitability, 2-Restricted, 3-Low, 4-Moderate, 5-Optimum
Change In Whitefly Populations 2050
What is the Role of GCP21
Global Vision for Cassava
• Feed 2 billion people by 2050
• World yield average of 20 t/ha
• 25% of the production for the
industry
To identify R&D gaps in cassava productivity
To invest Science and Technology in cassava
To increase funding in cassava
To develop communications through a
unique portal for all cassava information and
expertise
What is the Role of GCP21
To be The reference for cassava
To be fully independent
To be trusted by the cassava community and by the donors
What is Essential for GCP21?
GCP21 Cassava Chain
GCP21 Cassava Chain
GCP21 Push-Pull Concept
What Should GCP21 Do?
Cassava Potential
Cassava Productivity
Vegetative Propagation
What Are The Cassava Bottlenecks?
Genetics, Diseases,
Cassava Resilience
Cassava Value Chain
Implement R&D Projects
Possess labs and fields
Conduct experiments
What Will GCP21 NOT Do?
An independent non-for-profit
private networking
organization
(Could be hosted by any organization)
What Will GCP21 Be?
What Is the Scope of GCP21?
Should be a Unique Global
Independent Organization
Most of the constraints for cassava are global
(genetic, physiology, propagation, starch, root
storage…)
Solutions of problems and application are local
(diseases, nutrition, varieties, processing…)
Scientific Working Groups Cassava Portfolio
Constraints
Priorities
Experts
Executive Management
Thematic Meetings Databases Conferences
Teams of Cassava Experts
Steering
Committee
Major Challenge for GCP21
Communication
Cassava Belt
Donor Belt
Where Will GCP21 Be Located?
Work with CG system and USAID (and other aids)
Work with NARs and local organizations
Work with World Bank and AfDB, ADB, IADB
Work with Advance International Labs
Work with Embrapa
Work with CIRAD-IRD-Agropolis
Work with FAO and other UN agencies
Work with China, India, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Vietnam
GCP21 Strategy
GCP21 Strategy
Work with starch industry; North & South
America, Asia, Europe
Work with Food Processing companies
Work with Feed Producing companies
Work with Energy companies
Work with Global Harvest Initiative
Work with humanitarian organizations
Work with UN organizations
Work with NGOs in Africa
Work with all aids organizations in the world
Work with church networks in Africa
Work with AU organizations
Work with policy makers
GCP21 Strategy
Founders
CG Centers
Foundations
Aid Agencies
Private Companies
45 Research Institutions
105 National Members
2000 Cassava Scientists and Developers
GCP21 Consortium
GCP21 Donors
Classical donors and
New donors:
- GHI multinational co
- eCompanies:
Amazon, Google,
Apple
- Starch companies
- Private companies
- Private donors
- Individual cdonors
Cassava Productivity
Poverty
Africa Asia
>15t/Ha
>20t/Ha
<10t/Ha
Latin America
Food Security
Surpluses
A War on Cassava Viruses
Virus Eradication
10t/Ha
15t/Ha
20t/Ha
Cassava
Poverty
Circle
A War on Cassava Viruses After one century of research and cassava
improvement, CMD is considered as the first biological
constraint for cassava and CBSD is now considered as
one of the top ten viral diseases in the world!
There is an estimated minimum number of 700 cassava
landraces in Africa, and farmers are very much attached
to their landraces.
For the last 45 years of active cassava breeding in
international and national institutes, there has been a
fairly poor rate of adoption of new cassava germplasm
released to the African farmers.
A War on Cassava Viruses
A key element for success of a
cassava improvement crop is the
rate of adoption of cassava
cultivars by farmers
In parallel, GCP21 is elaborating a road
map to collect, evaluate, clean, identify
and preserve all cassava landraces,
beginning with East Africa
Cassava Mosaic Disease
Caused by
geminiviruses
There are 9 species of
cassava geminiviruses
in Africa
ACMV and EACMV are
the most important ones
in East Africa
At least 45Mtons not
produced each year
because of CMD
Biodiversity of African Cassava Geminiviruses
EACMUV
EACMTV
1920s
Stage 3 –2000s
> 4 million sq. km.
Outbreak Stages: CMD
Stage 2 –1990s
Outbreak – late 1980s
Courtesy: J.P. Legg
CMD for more than a century
CMD resistant CVs: CMD1: 1930-1970s
CMD2: 1990-present
CMD3: 2012
Transgenic plants: proof of concept CMD,
first products 2016-2020 Opening the possibility to FIX cassava
landraces readily adopted by farmers
TME 30572
TME 204
TME7
Transgenic 60444 Resistant to EACMV
CMD1 DR2 CFT at Namulonge – 11MAP
Necrotic rot of roots
Veinal chlorosis of leaves
Cassava Brown Streak Disease
First discovered in 1935
in East Africa
Re-emerged in 2003
Caused by 2 species of
ssRNA ipomoviruses
CBSV and UCBSV
Harvest can be
completely lost
for CBSD
1930s
2009
2004
2005
2005
New Outbreaks of CBSD
Courtesy: J.P. Legg
>50Mtons
CBSD re-emergence since 2003
after disappearance for 70 years
Control methods
CBSD resistant CVs: 1935 (Namikonga)
New release of 6 CBSD resistant CVs 2012
Transgenic plants: proof of concept CBSD,
first products 2016-2020
Possibility to FIX adopted cassava
landraces
Namikonga
Namikonga Namikonga
Kiroba
Kiroba
Confined Field Trial to Evaluate Transgenic Cassava for
Resistance to Cassava Brown Streak Disease - 11/2011
Production and Characterization of
Product Quality TME204R
TME204 Cassava Farmer’s Preferred
Cultivar Selected to make the First
Commercial Product
A War on Cassava Viruses Pressure through whiteflies
Climatic Conditions
Pressure through cuttings
Climatic Conditions
ACMV
EACMV
Synergism
A War Against Cassava Viruses Pressure through whiteflies
Climatic Conditions
Pressure through cuttings
A War Against Cassava Viruses
Resistance to whiteflies Resistance to CMD viruses
Resistance To CMD
Reversion through cuttings
Investigating new sources of resistance
100% infected plants
0% infected plants
“Reversion”
A War Against Cassava Viruses
A War Against Cassava Viruses
- Need to integrate different technologies for better control
Natural resistance for inbred lines
Transgenesis for cassava landraces
Virus-free cuttings for other landraces
- The goal is to deplete the virus load from THE reservoir:
The Cassava Crop itself
- Need a better monitoring system to watch for new viruses
- Need to investigate new sources of resistance to the virus
- Need to investigate possibilities to control whiteflies
through genetic resistance/ transgenesis and IPM
- Need to use cheap propagation methods for virus-free
certified material
- Need a strong integrated strategy to control viruses
A War on Cassava Viruses
Produce Virus-Free
Improved Material
Investigate
Whitefly
Resistance
Investigate Virus
Resistance
Mechanisms
A War on Cassava Viruses
Investigate
Reversion
Resistance
Control
Whiteflies
Produce Virus-
Resistant
Landraces
IPM Control of the
Insect Vector
?
Virus-Free
Certification System
Virus-Free
Material
Cassava
Productivity
Improvement
Virus-Resistant
Material
Cassava Seed
Production System
A War on Cassava Viruses
Geographical Space
Virus-Free
Certification
Seed System
International
Exchange of
Material
International
Breeding
Field Tests
International
and National
Virus Control
National
Deployment
Strategies
Cassava
Productivity
Improvement
Participation of
Policy Makers
and Politicians
A War on Cassava Viruses
IPM Control of
Whiteflies
Improved Monitoring and
Virus Diagnostic System
Long Term
Funding and
Planning
A Collection of Cassava
Landraces in East Africa 93% of the cassava landraces in East Africa are NOT in
international collections
They are under threat to disappear with virus diseases such as CBSD, after CMD
Modern molecular breeding can make use of important traits present in these landraces that are appreciated by most farmers.
Opportunity to know more about the farmer and consumer needs to improve cassava
Tanzania, June 2013
Making more user-friendly cassava
products to boost local economy and
stabilize cassava market price
Use the Cassava Revolution in Nigeria to exemplify
what can be done with and for cassava.
Use cassava in the local food products like bread, or
make ethanol for local consumption
Use cassava in modern consumption: beer, coca-cola
Use cassava for feed to raise animal on farm: no
investment required!
Abuja October 2013
Cassava: food and biofuel
GCP21 Chinese Cassava Agricultural Research System Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences
Nanning, China 2015