| dc.description.abstract | Food insecurity is a major global problem, affecting millions of people, especially in developing countries. Although food insecurity is considered solvable, various development strategies have failed to ensure food security in many regions. Recently the cassava crop has increased in importance as a promising option to improve food security, as well as the income of smallholder farmers, in the rural areas of developing countries. However, cassava is already an integral agricultural product in specific regions of Malawi. Therefore, this thesis analyses the value of cassava from the famers' perspectives, accessed through interviews and observations. This analysis includes how the farmers of the Lilongwe District of Malawi actually use cassava and how it is integrated in the farmers' lives. The research further examines how cassava is valued by the farmers and to what extent it contributes or influences farmers' food security and income. Thereby, the thesis strongly focuses on the farmers' specific awareness of food security and why this must be considered when addressing the topic of food security. Further, the market options for cassava are clarified, through a brief overview of cassava processing possibilities. This study found that cassava is used by the majority of farmers as both a food and a cash crop and that this dual usage, in combination with cassava's very flexible cultivation period, is pivotal for the farmers’ decision to plant it. Furthermore, the results indicated that the farmers' awareness of food security is based exclusively on maize; nevertheless, cassava influences the farmers' food security. | eng |