Vincent Lebot works in CIRAD’s Genetics and Variety Innovation (GIV) team, which is part of the Genetic Improvement and Adaptation of Mediterranean and Tropical Plants joint research unit (UMR AGAP). He is particularly interested in quality improvement using conventional methods.

- Can you summarise the new 544-page edition in a few words?

It aims to bring together in a single work the state of the art on the origins and history, taxonomy and botany, genetics and improvement, physiology, agronomy, pests and diseases, post-harvest quality and marketing for root and tuber plant species (cassava, sweet potato, yams and aroids).

- What are the major advances compared to the previous edition?

The first edition dates back to 2009. Over the past decade, research has focused heavily on these plants and a lot of work has been published. For the most part, this is often research which is not very applicable given the scarcity of resources in the countries where these plants are cultivated. However, there is some exemplary work that can pave the way for real progress and therefore deserves to be shared with as many people as possible.

- Who is the book for?

Principally, the book is intended for researchers from the global South, providing them with access to summaries of the knowledge available for various root and tuber plants. It also targets decision-makers in Southern countries and tries to explain that dependence on massive cereal imports is not inevitable, and that to aid the planet it is also possible to produce locally, with a very low carbon footprint, foods whose nutritional qualities are very interesting for consumers in the South. The book is also intended for decision-makers at major international institutions who, through ethnocentrism, believe that these plants are relics of the past. In sharp contrast to this view, these plants represent local solutions for the future which are essential to feed the growing population, especially in Southern countries. Finally, the book is aimed directly at producers and attempts to give them easily accessible information to improve their supply chains.