Cassava is a symbol connecting different social groups in the Amazon, including traditional indigenous populations and urban populations. It is an ancestral foodstuff, initially domesticated by the indigenous peoples themselves. It is also used in different cuisines in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and other regions in the world, mainly in developing countries. Its crop does not need a lot of care, and it can grow in less fertile soils and small sites.

It is used to produce foods, cattle, and equine feeds and even to manufacture pharmaceutical products. The roots play a fundamental role in food security for the world’s population. The United Nations (UN) has declared cassava as the food of the 21st century.