Boosting Africa’s food security: Unlocking the potential of cassava and underutilized legumes for a resilient future

The Food and Nutrition Science Laboratory (FNSL) unit of IITA-CGIAR commits to ensuring food and nutrition security on the continent by harnessing the potential of IITA mandate crops and underutilized legumes. This is coming at a critical time, as Africa's wheat imports have been rising at an annual rate of 9%, with East and West Africa being the highest importers. The continent's heavy reliance on wheat has increased the cost of wheat and its derived products, intensifying economic challenges.

To counter this trend, IITA-FNSL is promoting high-quality flour derived from cassava and underutilized legumes such as African yam bean and Bambara nuts as viable local alternatives to wheat flour and other nutrient-dense products. Through capacity-building initiatives, the unit is equipping youth, entrepreneurs, and communities in various countries with the knowledge and skills to develop products using these crops.

This approach reduces dependency on costly imports, bolsters food sovereignty and fosters resilient food and nutrition systems.

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