BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recognised cassava bread as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The proposal, presented by the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Honduras and Venezuela, was recently approved in Paraguay in the context of the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Among the arguments presented for the inscription of cassava was its relevance as a symbol of identity, social cohesion and sustainable development in Caribbean communities.

UNESCO emphasized that this round bread made with bitter cassava reflects an indigenous and African legacy transmitted informally in homes and formally in schools.

The decision highlights the role of cassava in the preservation of peace and dialogue between communities, in addition to its importance as a cultural identity reference in the region.

The nomination process began in early 2024 when a dossier was compiled highlighting the cultural and social value of cassava, a task that involved experts and cultural authorities.

Cassava bread is made from the cassava plant also called yuca or manioc.

Its first elaborations date back more than two thousand years, when the indigenous communities of the Caribbean and South America incorporated it as a central element of their diet.