It is the staple food of nearly a
billion people in 105 countries where the root provides
as much as a third of daily calories (FAO 2008) and the
annual consumption is greatest in Africa. In Zaire for
example, cassava provides for 1,123 calories per day
per person while in Ghana, a mean per capita
production of 465 kg/annum provides about 20 % of
calories in the diet, far ahead of any other single crop
or animal source (FAOSTAT 2005).