Abstract Global climate issues and a looming energy
crisis put agriculture under pressure in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Climate adaptation measures must entail sustainable
development benefits, and growing crops for food as well
as energy may be a solution, removing people from hunger
and poverty without compromising the environment. The
present study investigated the feasibility of using non-food
parts of cassava for energy production and the promising
results revealed that at least 28% of peels and stems
comprise dry matter, and 10 g feedstock yields [8.5 g
sugar, which in turn produced [60% ethanol, with
pH & 2.85, 74–84% light transmittance and a conductivity
of 368 mV, indicating a potential use of cassava feedstock
for ethanol production. Thus, harnessing cassava for food
as well as ethanol production is deemed feasible. Such a
system would, however, require supportive policies to
acquire a balance between food security and fue