Women, Innovation, and Cassava: An Exchange of Knowledge Between Colombia and Indonesia
In Malang, East Java Province, a prized way of eating cassava is tape singkong, fermented cassava roots which carry deep cultural significance, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. In recent years, tape singkong has moved from local to international markets. But even as demand for it grows, the area of land planted with cassava in the region is shrinking.
- biofortified
- crops
- nutrition
- food security
Women, Innovation, and Cassava: An Exchange of Knowledge Between Colombia and Indonesia
In Malang, East Java Province, a prized way of eating cassava is tape singkong, fermented cassava roots which carry deep cultural significance, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. In recent years, tape singkong has moved from local to international markets. But even as demand for it grows, the area of land planted with cassava in the region is shrinking.
How can communities balance growing demand with constrained output? That tension sits at the center of a technical exchange between Colombia and Indonesia, held in July 2026 as part of the Scientific and Technical Support for Sustainable Agriculture in ASEAN Countries (3S) project, an initiative of the Government of Italy funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). The project seeks to strengthen sustainable agriculture and the value chains of three crops that are strategic for food security cassava, maize, and sugarcane in countries including Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam. Within the Alliance, the 3S project is led by Dr. Andrea Ghione, Markets and Value Chains Lead.
The exchange brought together researchers from the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), as well as representatives from AICS; the University of Milan, which coordinates the consortium; the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa; and Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Producers, artisanal processors, and approximately 15 women from rural communities in Malang also took part.