Africa's Vanishing Foods

A woman processes white paste in large black plastic tubs in an open area, likely preparing traditional African food such as cassava. As international inflation made wheat more expensive, many West Africans once more opted for cassava, which some consider to be a poor person’s food. Africa’s traditional crops tend to be among the “forgotten foods”, which are also called “neglected”, “underutilised,” or “orphan crops”. What these cultivars have in common is that people historically depended on them and often still do. Related terms are “minor foods” or even “poor people’s food”, showing that it is more prestigious to consume other goods.