Cassava is considered a good bioethanol feedstock because of its favourable energy balance and its good GHG (greenhouse gas) balance.  Cassava-growing regions can potentially harness the crop for “cassava ethanol”, and contribute to the livelihood improvement of farmers.  Recently, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIARhas reported an initiative in Colombia that might help promote the country’s rural agricultural development. The initiative by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) facilitates the participation of farmers for the “pre-processing” of cassava tubers into a liquid containing 50% ethanol.  With the cooperation of the Caribbean Consortium to Support Cassava Research and Development (CLAYUCA), and Diligent Energy Systems, a Dutch company, the processing activities are to be done in low cost, “artisan-scale” plants.  The initial 50% ethanol solutions obtained from these pre-processing plants can then be taken to a central ethanol distillery, where the materials are further processed into 99.5% ethanol.  Besides the low cost, and the income that can be obtained in the pre-processing activity, the “artisan-scale” plants also provide value added by-products like feed and fertilizer.  The CGIAR report also states that the initiative can (1) position cassava as an agricultural option for the improvement of incomes and the quality of life for the farmers in Colombia, (2) “help validate sustainable and competitive options of energy and agroindustrial development”, and (3) “serve as a model for “sustainable development of bioenergy using traditional crops” to other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America..