SABMiller plc (SAB.L), the parent company of Accra Brewery Ltd and Voltic Ghana Ltd, has launched the first ever commercial-scale cassava-based beer in Mozambique. The beer, ‘Impala’, will be brewed in Mozambique by SABMiller’s local subsidiary, Cervejas de Moçambique (CDM). Homebrew spirits on the continent, fermented from cassava and other root tubers, are popular because they are cheap but they can be lethal, according to the BBC. Therefore the launch of Impala marks the latest step in SABMiller’s quest to create a portfolio of high-quality, affordable beers made using locally-sourced raw materials for lower income consumers in Africa. The beer is brewed using 70% cassava and is the result of several years of research to overcome the challenges of processing and brewing with cassava, which grows widely across Africa. Mozambican farmers potentially produce more than enough cassava than is required for domestic consumption, but the surplus has never previously been used to brew beer because of the logistical challenge of collecting the roots from smallholder farmers who are widely dispersed, along with its rapid deterioration immediately after harvesting. Cassava is an excellent source of starch, but starts to degrade almost immediately after it is harvested, which, together with its high water content, makes it unsuitable for transporting over long distances. SABMiller has partnered with DADTCO (Dutch Agricultural Development and Trading Company), which has pioneered an innovative solution in the form of a mobile processing unit (AMPU) which travels to the cassava growing regions and processes the root in situ, preserving the integrity of the starch. According to Mark Bowman, Managing Director of SABMiller Africa, “We estimate that the volume of the informal, unregulated alcohol market across Africa could be up to four times that of the formal market. “By using locally-sourced raw materials, we are able to create high-quality, affordable products for consumers who would otherwise be drinking informal or illicit alcohol. At the same time, Africa’s agricultural potential is enormous, but currently under-exploited. The private sector has a critical role to play – by creating market opportunities for subsistence farmers in our value chains, we are able to increase their productivity allowing them to feed their families and generate an income for the first time.” Peter Bolt, Managing Director of DADTCO added: “The rural regions we are targeting are extremely poor and the farmers have previously struggled to sell more than a bag of cassava every two weeks. By creating a sustainable, vibrant market for their crops, buying from them direct and helping them to improve their yields, there is no doubt that this project will have a significant impact on their lives and the local economy.”