Cassava market seen reaching $312.15 billion by 2035

The global cassava market is projected to grow from $207.22 billion in 2025 to $312.15 billion by 2035, driven by gluten-free demand, food security concerns and industrial uses. The report highlights expanding opportunities in starch, flour and bio-based manufacturing across major producing and consuming regions.

Why it matters: - Cassava is moving from a staple crop to a broader industrial commodity with uses in food, feed, pharmaceuticals, textiles, paper and biofuels. - The market’s projected growth reflects rising demand for gluten-free ingredients and more resilient food supplies as climate pressures increase. - The biggest near-term opportunity is in cassava flour and starch, which are gaining traction in developed markets and value-added manufacturing.

What happened: - The cassava market was valued at $198.9 billion in 2024. - The market is projected to reach $207.22 billion in 2025 and $312.15 billion by 2035. - The forecast implies a 4.18% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2035. - The report frames cassava as an increasingly strategic crop across the global food and industrial supply chain.

The details: - Cassava demand is being supported by food security concerns, drought tolerance and the crop’s ability to grow in marginal soils. - Gluten-free consumer demand is lifting cassava flour and starch as alternatives to wheat-based ingredients. - In food and beverages, cassava is used for flour, starch, tapioca pearls, garri and fufu. - In animal feed, cassava chips and pellets are positioned as lower-cost, high-energy alternatives to maize. - In pharmaceuticals, cassava starch is used as a binding and disintegrating agent in tablet production. - In biofuels, cassava-based ethanol is expanding in Southeast Asia and parts of South America. - Household consumption remains the dominant end use in producing regions across Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. - Industrial use is the faster-growing end-use segment, including starch manufacturing, textile sizing, adhesives, paper production and bioplastics. - Cassava starch is the leading product category because of its neutral taste, high viscosity and broad functional use. - Cassava flour is the fastest-rising product type because of gluten-free demand in North America and Europe. - Cassava chips, pellets and fresh roots continue to serve traditional food and feed markets in producing economies. - Distribution still relies heavily on wet markets and informal trade in rural producing regions. - Business-to-business channels are growing as processors sign larger supply agreements with food, feed and industrial buyers. - Packaged cassava flour and starch are appearing more often in supermarkets in developed markets. - Asia-Pacific, led by Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam, dominates cassava processing and starch exports. - The Middle East and Africa, anchored by Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana, is the largest production base. - South America, especially Brazil, contributes to production and cassava-based ethanol. - North America and Europe are becoming important demand centers for gluten-free, clean-label and plant-based inputs. - Olam International, Cargill, Bunge Limited and ADM are among the global agribusiness companies active in sourcing and processing cassava-derived ingredients. - Tropical Foods and Dufil Prima Foods benefit from proximity to West Africa’s cassava production base. - Crown Flour Mills and Golden Penny have built domestic distribution for cassava-based flour and starch products in Nigeria. - Siam Cassava Products anchors Southeast Asia’s cassava processing industry in Thailand.

Between the lines: - The market is being shaped by a split between subsistence production and higher-value industrial demand. - Companies that can link smallholder supply in developing markets with quality standards in developed markets are likely to capture the strongest growth. - Competition is centered on raw material access, processing efficiency and higher-margin product development. - Cassava’s climate resilience gives the crop a strategic edge as weather volatility and food-system risk become more important to buyers and governments.

What’s next: - The report points to more investment in improved processing technology and higher-yield cassava varieties. - More cassava-based products are likely to move into premium gluten-free and clean-label channels. - Industrial uses such as bioplastics and bio-based manufacturing should keep expanding as buyers look for alternatives to petroleum-derived inputs. - The company offers a free sample copy of the report at More information. - Related research reports are available on licorice root, root beer, cocoa beans, vanilla bean and canned beans.