This initiative involved farmers in the selection and breeding of cassava varieties resistant to cassava mosaic disease. This approach offered a faster route to producing these varieties, compared with conventional breeding programmes which can exceed nine years to achieve results. The aim was to ensure that farmers adopted these varieties to enable them to improve their crop yields. West African cassava seed was planted by farmers in communal fields. Farmers and researchers evaluated the varieties planted using the farmers’ own pre- and post-harvest criteria. Cuttings from the favoured varieties were multiplied by the farmers in the participating villages.