| Sumario: | Key messages
The root and tuber crop farming system is a complex system found in humid and sub-humid areas of west and central Africa; it has mixed root and tuber crops (notably cassava and yam), some tree crops (e.g. oil palm, cocoa, rubber, cashew and mangoes) and cereals (e.g. rice, maize, sorghum and millet) but few livestock because of disease.
The farming system is at an early stage of development, with an agricultural population of 50 million with an average farm size of 2.3 ha but with opportunity for expansion. Markets are generally poorly developed. Women play an important role in the farming system especially in the production and processing of root and tuber crops.
In the long term, the system has high potential because of high biomass productivity with suitability for commercial tree crops, root and tuber crops (notably cassava) as well as horticulture, and proximity to major urban centres and export ports.
Strategic priorities for the sector include market-oriented intensification through the use of improved varieties and integrated soil fertility management, complemented by diversification to include cereals, legumes, ruminants and improved processing options for root and tuber crops.
Such intensification and diversification requires farmer training, increased research and extension capacity, investment in transport and market infrastructure, and national policies that promote roots and tubers as both food security and industrial crops supported by public-private partnerships.
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