Cassava

Abstract

Due to recurrent droughts and locust invasions, grain-producing areas of Northern Rhodesia (colonial Zambia) often suffered from food shortages and, consequently, famine between c. 1890 and c. 1950. In this context, cassava, a drought-resistant tuber, which is not attacked by locusts, served as an important source of food at times when grain crops faltered. Drawing on oral interviews and a close reading of archival material, this article examines how cassava was used to ensure food security in colonial Zambia. It departs from the standard scholarly view that cassava was relegated to an inferior position by the colonial state. Cassava, I demonstrate, retained its position as an important staple in Zambia and the state considered it favorably as a famine reserve crop. Cassava enabled rural communities in the northern regions of Zambia to maintain resilience against food insecurity, especially when grains faltered due to droughts and locusts.