Cassava: From Root to Flour, Starch, and Powder — How to Explore the Entire Value Chain

The cassava is the biggest base consumption crop in Brazil — with over 20 million tons produced per year, present in 100% of the regions and social classes. From fresh roots to table flour, from starch to modified starch, from beiju to tapioca — each product has a distinct market and cassava is the raw material for all.

The premium tapioca, artisanal flour, and organic cassava starch market is growing by 25 to 35% per year. Tapioca — almost unknown in the capitals 15 years ago — has become a mandatory ingredient in healthy breakfasts and has gained the world as a gluten-free alternative. The artisanal cassava flour has a growing premium market in gourmet shops and natural stores.

When cassava is cultivated with high-yield varieties and processed into multiple differentiated products, this segment can greatly contribute to job and income generation in Brazil.

Join our strategic actions for implementing the best solutions in the Brazilian agricultural sector. Our activities, studies, and advanced research encompass 20 chains and the 255 segments of the national agribusiness — from grain chains to sustainable extraction, passing through horticulture, fruit growing, livestock, and much more.

The series Innovation For Brazil to Produce More was developed precisely to identify and implement the best solutions available in Brazil and worldwide, across the 255 segments of the agricultural sector — with accessible technical language, updated data, and a focus on practical results for producers, suppliers, government, and traders.

1.  Opportunities for Small Rural Producers

How to produce quality cassava and access higher value-added markets

Cassava has the largest range of processed products of any Brazilian vegetable — from packed fresh boiled roots to modified starch. Each processing point adds value, and the producer who masters at least two of them multiplies their income per ton.

✔    High-starch varieties for starch: Vassourinha, IAC 576-70, BRS Formosa

✔    Table varieties: Aipim Branco, Cacau, Coimbra — fresh roots for direct consumption

✔    Tapioca: wet starch gummy — product with high growing demand

✔    Artisanal flour: artisan-roasted in a clay oven — premium identity

✔    PRONAF and BNB lines for cassava growers and flour houses

The E-Book 01 — Strategic Manual for the Small Rural Producer presents, in detail, the best solutions for this segment and the other 254 of Brazilian agribusiness — focusing on method, cost reduction, and progressive growth from Agro 1.0 to Agro 6.0.  Access now for BRL 99.00 →

2.  Opportunities for Micro and Small Local Suppliers

What equipment does the cassava chain demand

The cassava chain demands grater, press, oven, and packaging machine — from the artisanal flour house to the industrial starch factory.

Solutions by area of engineering applied to the segment

Our activities, studies, and advanced research encompass six major areas of engineering — and the chain demands solutions in all of them:

Electrical Engineering and Computing — automation of starch factories; starch drying control;

Electronic Engineering and IoT — moisture sensors for flour and starch;

Control and Automation Engineering — flour roasting ovens; tapioca presses;

Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering — automated graters, presses, and flour house ovens;

Renewable Energy Engineering — solar for flour houses and starch factories;

Data Science and Artificial Intelligence — traceability of artisanal flour; starch factory management.

✔    Modernization of flour houses — electric ovens and automatic presses

✔    Tapioca presses for high demand market

✔    Cold chambers for packed fresh roots

✔    Packaging machines for artisanal flour

✔    Technical assistance in small-scale starch factory

The E-Book 02 — Strategic Guide for the Micro and Small Local Supplier maps, segment by segment, the business opportunities — focusing on IoT, energy, automation, and specialized technical services.  Access now for BRL 99.00 →

3.  Opportunities for Municipal Governments

How the municipality can support cassava and the flour house as a cultural heritage

The flour house is cultural heritage of the Northeast, North, and Central-West — and the municipality that supports its modernization preserves cultural identity and increases the income of producing families.

✔    Modernization of municipal community flour houses

✔    PNAE with local artisanal flour for school meals

✔    Registration of local artisanal flour as cultural heritage

✔    Municipal IDM: volume of locally produced flour as an indicator

✔    Flour Festival — cultural identity and gastronomic tourism

The E-Book 03 — Reference Guide for Municipal Governments presents a step-by-step guide for municipal secretaries and managers to implement effective public policies for the 255 segments of agribusiness.  Access now for BRL 99.00 →

4.  Opportunities for Small Agricultural Product Retailers

How cassava generates business for distributors of tapioca, flour, and derived products

The organic premium tapioca is the fastest-growing product in the Brazilian gluten-free market — sold in 500g packages for R$ 12 to R$ 20 in gourmet shops and digital platforms, with demand far exceeding the supply of certified product.

The artisanal flour with origin identity — cassava flour roasted in a clay oven with identification of the flour house — is a gourmet product experiencing accelerated growth in the capitals' gourmet shops. A 500g package can reach R$ 10 to R$ 25 compared to R$ 3 for industrial flour.

Products with high commercial potential

The main products derived from this segment for local retail and food service:

Organic premium tapioca — highest growth in the gluten-free market;

Artisanal flour with origin identity — gourmet shops; R$ 10 to R$ 25/500g;

Packed fresh roots — convenience for supermarkets;

Organic cassava starch — premium industrial ingredient;

Artisanal polvilho cookie — high-demand regional snack;

Cassava for PNAE — guaranteed institutional purchase.

Merchant profiles and their specific opportunities

✔    Distributors: tapioca and artisanal flour for gourmet shops and supermarkets

✔    Processors: premium tapioca and artisanal polvilho cookies

✔    Restaurants: premium fried cassava and gourmet stuffed tapioca

✔    Digital platforms: artisanal flour with origin and organic tapioca

✔    Exporters: organic tapioca for the European gluten-free market

✔    PNAE: local cassava and flour for school meals

Growth strategies for the local merchant

The flour house that modernizes the oven and packages with origin identity transforms a product at R$ 3/kg into a product at R$ 20/kg without changing the recipe — just with the correct packaging and origin communication. It is the greatest differential available for the artisanal flour producer.

The BNB/FNE and the PRONAF cover flour houses. The Pronampe covers distributors. The SEBRAE subsidizes packaging and certification.

The E-Book 04 — Strategic Guide for the Small Agricultural Product Merchant maps 30 merchant profiles and details growth opportunities across all 255 segments of agribusiness.  Access now for BRL 99.00 →

Innovation and Technology Network

By purchasing any e-book from the series, you become a member of our Innovation and Technology Network. Groups with 30 members can organize and fund in-person strategic planning events to identify and implement the best solutions available in Brazil and worldwide.

✔    Small Rural Producers

✔    Micro and Small Supplier Companies

✔    Municipal Governments

✔    Small Agricultural Product Retailers

⭐  Special offer: I will provide 100% discount on the value of my working hours for the 10 pioneer events organized by 11/30/26 and held in December 2026. Therefore, the 10 pioneer groups will only cover the general expenses.

Sincerely,

Ivo Alves

CEO · Master's in Electrical Engineering and Computing · Specialist in Innovation and Technology Project Management

Lecturer: IFPB and UFRN  ·  38 years of experience in Engineering