If cassava may not necessarily be the ‘last word’ in the pursuit of regional food security, Guyana, it seems, is in the process of positioning itself to put the widely cultivated root crop forward as an option that simply cannot be overlooked in the ongoing animated discourse on how to meet the requirements of every dinner table in the region. Guyana, at least, would appear to be making no secret of its belief that a regional food security assignment, the final results of which remain decidedly undeclared, can be considerably enhanced if cassava is embraced as part of the wider food sufficiency equation.
The case, mind you, is being made against the backdrop of a wider regional food security ambition that would appear to have stumbled at the hurdle of a critical assignment, the creation of a food security hub that can serve as the nerve center for ensuring that there is sufficient food to go around the numerous pockets of food insecure people in the region. Context-ually, a case may be emerging – and this assertion is being made with a generous measure of caution – for cassava cultivated in Guyana to become an important part of the wider regional food security conversation.