2. Abodunde Farms is an independent farming
operation that cultivates cassava,yam,
sorghum, maize as well as other cash crops
and tropical fruits. We also process various
agricultural goods into flour. Although
Abodunde Farms itself is not smallholder by
traditional definition, we exist in and are a
support for an ecosystem of smallholders, as
such we follow smallholder methods and
principles in the way we operate.
Our family history in farming is documented to
as far back as 1901,when Nigeria became a
British protectorate. Both my maternal and
paternal grand parents,Ekpoza and Adebire
Kolade,and Sawyer and Felicia Abodunde were
farmers,local traders and landowners in what
are today the states of Edo and Ekiti,starting
in the 1930’s going on through World War 2
and through Nigerian independence in 1960.
We have trained and licensed agriculturalists,
landowners,and smallholder farmers in every
branch of the family tree going back over 100
years.
Abodunde Farms is The largest
landowner and cassava
producer in a Network of
smallholder family farms going
back to the early 20th century.
Today,most of Africa’s farming sector is
smallholder farming. There are millions of
smallholder farms in West Africa and these
largely unindustrialized farms vary in size and
are owned by individuals,families,
communities,and in some cases by the federal
government itself.
In 1956 oil was discovered in Nigeria,and in
subsequent years government priorities
shifted from agriculture to oil and the
economy became hopelessly dependent on oil,
at the expense of the agricultural heritage.
Today traditional crude revenues are beginning
to wane, and farming is witnessing renewed
interest and development from the federal
government,as well as from private
landowners and farmers alike.
To understand economic transformation in
Africa today,one must be conversant of mid
20th centuryAfrican history. After waves of
independence movements across the
continent saw Africans take over the
governance of their own land and people,most
of Africa’s leaders (enabled by foreign
cronyism) adopted authoritative forms of
government as well as socialist economics.
The end result is the endemic corruption and
continued exploitation of African people which
all led to more poverty.
As result of 21st century technologies and
media, Africans are now back in control of
their own stories.As such, the continent is
Femi Abodunde
General Administrator - Chief Executive
Foreword
My grandmother Adebire Kolade and my mother in
Akoko Edo, Edo State, Nigeria circa 1950
3. The Land
The Guinean Forest Savanna Mosaic
The Guinean forest-savanna mosaic covers an
area of 673,60 sq. kilometers (260,100 sq. mi),
extending from western Senegal to
eastern Nigeria, and including portions
of Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra
Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
Abodunde Farms is Headquartered in Akoko Edo,Edo State,Nigeria. We are in the Guinean forest
savanna.
The Guinean forest-savanna mosaic is an ecoregion consisting of a band of interlaced
tropical forest, savanna,and grassland running east to west across Western Africa.The mosaic is a vast
area of grassland dotted with ancient rocks, as well as with tropical trees which grow alongside streams
and on hillsides.Sporadic fires keep back the growth of trees in open country.A vast array of Africa’s best
known fruits and agricultural crops are grown all across the mosaic.
The mixture of forest and grassland provide habitat for a range of species including the African
leopard, forest elephants, hippopotamus,crocodiles,antelopes, tortoise and other localized species
including patas monkeys and Ghana worm lizards.The wetlands in the region are rich in birdlife,in
particular the iris glossy starling and black crowned crane.
The ecoregion covers large areas of many West African nations,including southern Casamance arm in
Senegal,all of inland Guinea-Bissau,most of The Gambia south of the River Gambia,the band of lowland
areas in Guinea that are parallel to the coast and then run south-east of the central mountains,in
Northern Sierra Leone the towns of Makeni and Kabala are in the mosaic,in Côte d'Ivoire -a swathe
across the middle east from Touba through the country's second-largest city Bouaké is included,a wide
strip across Ghana including all of the country east of Lake Volta,and in Nigeria the mosaic spans several
states (Oyo,Osun,Ondo,Edo,Enugu,Cross River,Nassarawa and Benue) as well as the cities of Ibadan
(which means ‘where the forest meets the savanna’),the country's capital Abuja, and Lokoja where
the River Niger and River Benue meet.
Looking west toward Ondo State, Abodunde
Farms
4. The Region
The Akoko-Edo Region is the oldest local
government area in Nigeria
Akoko-Edo is a sub region in the Afenmai/Afemai region in Edo State,Nigeria.The history of this region
can be traced back to the era of the British Colonial Administration in Nigeria starting in 1918 and which
coincided with the end of the First World War.In 1963 Akoko-Edo was constituted as part of the then
Afenmai/Afemai region.The Afenmai region remained a homogenous entity until 1976 when it was split
into 3 sub regions namely; Akoko-Edo,Etsako and Ivbhietsako (later renamed as Owan). There are many
different cultural identities and languages that co-exist in and call the region their home. Akoko-Edo has
14 Clans,16 Sub Clans and 56 towns and villages.
The latest population census figures put Akoko-Edo Local Government Area population at over 262,110.
The total land mass of the L.G.A is about 1,371 square kilometers.
Major economic activity in Akoko-Edo is agriculture which provides employment for over 80% of the working population.The major agricultural
products are Yam, Cassava, Plantain, Maize, Cocoyam, Cocoa, Cashew, Kolanut, Oil Palm and Coffee.Timber, Live-Stock and Cash Crops are also an
important part of agriculture in Akoko-Edo. The Akoko Edo area is known as the“Cassava Capital of West Africa”. This is because of a highly fertile
clay foundation soil which yields some of the best tasting cassava flours in the world.
There are numerous landmarks across Akoko Edo including the ancient rocks and caves at Ososo hills and Somorika hills, Ojirami Dam, Igarra Rocks,
Lampese Crocodile Lake etc. Also present in the area are large deposits of Limestone, Kaolin, Marble, Lime, Dolomite, Tourmaline Feldspar,precious
stones, Iron-Ore and Gold.
Forest Trail , Abodunde Farms
5. Their economic viability and
contributions to A diversified
landscape and culture are
threatened by monopolist and zero
sum styles of globalization. As a
result Many disappear, or become
purely self-subsistence producers. a
few Like Abodunde Farms recognize
the need to grow into larger units
that can compete with larger
industrialized farms.
Smallholders are small-scale farmers,
pastoralists,forest keepers,fishers who
manage areas generally varying from less
than one hectare to 10 hectares, using
mostly non-industrial scale machinery.
Smallholders are characterized by family-
focused motives such as favoring the stability
of the farm household system,using mainly
family and community labor for production.
In developing countries,family farmers and
smallholder farms have lower operating
transaction costs,engage more workers per
hectare,who being mostly family, are
motivated to work. This gives them a
productivity advantage over larger farms. In
some regions, such as Latin America and
Eastern Europe, family farms coexist with
large corporate farms.
The core of Abodunde Farms sits on a total
of ** hectares of land (confidential),and is
growing. We are split into multiple plots,
which we farm with smallholder
methodology and principles,and on which a
diverse range of tropical crops and fruits are
cultivated.Cassava being our main focus.
African governments are re-discovering that
smallholders and family farmers contribute
significantly to their transforming economies,
and play an important role in natural
resource conservation.They are a critical
population through which African leaders
aim to increase public expenditures. This
positions smallholders and family farmers to
play the primary role in regional growth as
Africa moves forward.
SMALLHOLDERS AND FAMILY FARMERS
6. 75 percent of the world’s food is generated from only 12 plants and 5 animal species,
making the global food system highly vulnerable to shocks. Smallholder systems can
reduce risks to our food system, as they nurture and raise many rustic and climate-
resilient breeds of crops and animals (food security).
An analysis of 15 case studies in Africa demonstrated that organic agriculture brings
multiple benefits to the community including more nutritious diet and health, reduced
occupational hazards through decreased exposure to pesticides and job creation.In Brazil,
each 8 hectares cultivated by smallholder farmers using mixed.cropping generates one
permanent full-time job, while large-scale mechanized monocultures generate 1 job per
67 hectares. When associated to improved working standards and rights, sustainable
smallholder agriculture can represent a key driver for decent rural jobs.
Abodunde Farms seeks out knowledge from our network of smallholders & family
farmers,as well as from various regional and international smallholder organizations
so as to strengthen our own agro-ecological knowledge.We then use that knowledge
within our network of family farmers and smallholders,so as to organize joint
procurement of all kinds of inputs and services.
WHY SMALLHOLDER Farms MATTER
If policymakers in sub-Saharan Africa want to support smallholder and family farms, they will need to develop plans to scale-up support to
sustainable smallholder farmers,while developing their entrepreneurial capacities in a competitive free market environment that is
transparent and accountable.
Smallholders need access to, and control over natural resources, mainly land, water, forests and
seeds. Investments in competent Women and young people are Also important because of the significant
discrimination they may face in terms opportunity to compete along the agriculture value chain.
7. Manihot esculenta, (yucca plant root),commonly called cassava is native to South
America and is extensively cultivated in subtropical regions across the world. Worldwide,
800 million people depend on cassava as their primary food staple. No continent depends
as much on root and tuber crops in feeding its population as does Africa.
The Crop
The cultivation of cassava Tubers is the cornerstone of Abodunde FarmS
Activities. THE term cassava (manioc in French-speaking countries) is
usually applied in Europe and the United States of America to the roots of
the cassava plant (tubers), whereas tapioca denotes baked products of
cassava flour.
Cassava plant on a plot, Abodunde Farms
Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and
maize.The importance of cassava to Africans is epitomized in the Ewe (a language spoken
in Ghana, Togo and Benin) name for the plant, Agbeli,meaning "There is Life”.
Cassava was unknown to the Old World before the discovery of America.There is
archaeological evidence of two major centers of origin for this crop,one in Mexico and
Central America and the other in northeastern Brazil.Portuguese settlers found the native
Indians in Brazil growing the cassava plant.and Pierre Martyr wrote in 1494 that the
"poisonous roots"of a yucca were used in the preparation of bread.It is believed that
cassava was introduced to the western coast of Africa in about the sixteenth century by
slave merchants.Cassava is sometimes described as the "Bread of the Tropics”.
The Brazilian farinha,and the related garri of West Africa,is an edible coarse flour
obtained by grating cassava roots,pressing moisture off the obtained grated pulp,and
finally drying it (and roasting in the case of farinha).
8. Storage And Transportation
Storage and Transportation of Agricultural Products for Smallholder
and family Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa
Compared to most industrialized countries,farmers and traders in Africa often conduct
a higher volume of transactions for smaller amounts and operate on a “cash and carry”
basis.
Abodunde Farms We sell crops by the tipper or truckload at
farm. Flour milled at Abodunde farms is also picked up by
customers at farm. many farmers in developing countries will
store and sell crops out of makeshift open air structures as they
are harvested. These structures are constructed from materials,
such as timber, straw, reeds, bamboo, mud or bricks.
Open air temporary storage,
Abodunde Farms
Tipper load of cassava tubers
Africa is the world’s least urbanized and least industrialized continent with only one-
third of the population living in urban areas.Africa also has one of the lowest road
densities in the world,second only to Latin America.Unlike the majority of Latin
Americans who live near the coast,one-third of all Africans reside in landlocked
countries, which can magnify operating costs due to the lack of roads. Farmers and
traders also contend with “Wild Wild West”style security issues when when traveling
over large distances with goods.
Typically,there are a variety of programs by NGOs,government,as well as the
private sector which attempt to improve revenues and transport security for
smallholder farmers by linking them with sources of “structured"demand.
9. Value Added Processing
Alcoholic beverages made from cassava include cauim and tiquira (Brazil),
kasiri (Guyana,Suriname), impala (Mozambique), masato
(Peruvian Amazonia chicha), tarul ko jaarh (Darjeeling,Sikkim,India).
Cassava-based dishes are widely consumed wherever the plant is cultivated;
some have regional, national, or ethnic importance.Cassava must be cooked
properly to detoxify it before it is eaten.Cassava can be cooked in many
ways.It can be made into a flour that is used in breads,cakes and cookies.
Cassava tubers and hay are used worldwide as animal feed. Cassava hay
contains high protein (20–27 percent crude protein) and condensed tannins.It
is valued as a good roughage source for ruminants such as cattle.
In many countries, cassava is used to produce renewable energy,ethanol
biofuel.The production of 2 million tonnes of ethanol fuel,200 thousand
tonnes biodiesel from non-grain feedstocks,is equivalent to the
replacement of 10 million tonnes of petroleum.
Abodunde Farms sells cassava tubers primarily to small
scale Flour Mills. We also own our own Flour Mill where
we process maize and cassava into flour. The Cassava plant
is mostly grown for its edible tubers, which serve as a
staple food in many tropical countries.
Cassava tuber processing, peeling
Cassava (starch) flour processing, pulp collection
Cassava (starch) flour processing, sifting
Here are the most common uses for cassava:
10. “I’ve been to a lot of markets in a lot of chaotic
cities, I’m quite obsessed by them. But the scale of
Balogun Market in lagos, its #energy,
the #movement, the amount of people I found on
the streets of Lagos… It’s not like anything I have
ever seen before. You are talking about one of the
biggest markets in #Africa. Ridley Road Market
in London can feel like a chaotic place, but Lagos
markets are completely different. They are a
continuous and unstoppable flux of people.” -
Lorenzo Vitturri
Abodunde Farms Also owns a flour
milling operation, where we process
natural agricultural produce, such
as cassava, into organic flour, which
is then transported to major urban
areas across Nigeria.
An 8 hour trip from the northwestern tip of Edo State,
where Abodunde Farms is located,to Lagos involves
transportation security risk as outlined on the United
States Department of State Travel.State.Gov advisory
website. Lagos is known for having some of the largest,
most colorful,and urban intense markets on the planet.
Farmers Market
Near Balogun Market, Lagos
loading cassava flour
bags ibillo Market, Edo
State
Cassava flour market
stall, Ibillo market, Edo
State
Agricultural market stalls, Oyingbo
Market, Lagos
Delivery at Mile 12 Market,
Lagos
Ibillo Market, Edo State
Wholesale buyers at Ibillo Market,
Edo State
11. Community centric operating model
We Exist In a network of Smallholders and
family farmers.
Because of our rural roots and the nature of smallholder and family farming in
West Africa,we operate first and foremost by customary laws as set forth by
community leaders and elders in Akoko Edo, Edo State. Nigeria is one of the
most pluralistic societies in the world in terms religion,ethnicity and laws. It is
essentially a colonial configuration of Britain,a modern nation made up of
hundreds of other ancient cultures each with their own sometimes shared,
religious,ethnic and legal values.
Nigerians observe several legal systems including common law,customary law
and western style law. Customary law is derived from indigenous traditional
norms and community practices,including the dispute resolution meetings of
pre-colonial Yoruba Land and the Ekpe and Okonko of Igboland and ibibioland.
In litigation between Nigerians and Non-Nigerians the general rule is that
western style law applies.In matters between Nigerians,customary law
typically applies first. And given that Nigeria has over 250+ different tribes,
customary law is very fluid and is dependent upon the jurisdictions of each one
of those 250+ tribes. Despite various challenges, customary law has remained
resilient in Nigeria.It is safe to predict that plural legal systems will continue in
Nigeria, in Africa, as well as in many other non western parts of the world for
many decades to come.
Mrs. Yemi Abodunde - Elder Council, Chairwoman
Mrs. Yemisi Jemitola - Elder Council, Secretary
Mr. Femi Abodunde - Chief Executive Officer
Abodunde Farms senior leaders
Abodunde Farms at Mile 12 Market in Lagos
15. 1. Federal Government of Nigeria
2. Edo State Government
3. United States Agency - International development
(USAID)
4. Joseph O. Segun
5. Skinner O. Moses
6. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
UPoCA
The project ‘Unleashing the Power of Cassava’in Africa (UPoCA) draws on prior research results to
increase on-farm cassava productivity and value-added processing for markets in DR Congo,Ghana,
Malawi,Mozambique,Nigeria,Sierra Leone and Tanzania.Funded by USAID.
Additional cassava specific
information
Sources
