Graham Thiele, Director of RTB, welcomed the new edition. "It is a unique publication with its comprehensive, scholarly and in-depth treatment across key topics that continue to be of high interest. It is the standard reference on roots and tubers and will be a vital resource for researchers and partners of RTB. We are seeing expanded investment and interest in tropical root and tuber crops and their area continues to expand markedly especially in Africa, making the new edition even more timely." The book has three primary audiences. One is researchers in developing countries. Lebot's goal for them is to demonstrate that problem-solving approaches used for one species - and perhaps the solutions themselves - may often be equally useful for other species. "Therefore, none of these crops should be neglected," he says.

The book is also for farmers, students, processors, and others with a stake in these crops in developing countries. "I hope to persuade them that dependency on imported food is not inevitable," Lebot says. The book contains global examples of approaches to traditional and industrial processing, many of which could find new applications elsewhere to develop local crops for local markets, with local agro-processing industries to add value. A third important audience is people Lebot describes as "working in prestigious international institutions". Lebot says that many of them "consider tropical root and tuber crops a mere folk heritage of the past that cannot adapt to modern globalization.".