Cassava has many uses, making it a vital staple food and cash crop for many farm families throughout the developing world. It is also used to produce commercial animal feed and for paper and textile manufacturing. Its starch is used for food manufacture (tapioca and arrowroot are both derived from cassava starch), pharmaceutical purposes and for the production of many other starch-derived products and ethanol. Its tolerance to drought and poor soils means it is frequently grown in conditions too harsh for other more traditional crops. It is also easy to grow and relatively free of diseases and pests in much of Asia. In East Timor, it is grown largely for on-farm and household use and to boost food supplies as needed. (http://aciar.gov.au/files/node/649/Partners%20Winter%20Edition%202006%20-%20Exploring%20cassava's%20potential.pdf)