This paper discusses CIAT's 12 year experience in developing an integrated cassava research and development project (ICRDP) approach. The origin, justification, methodology, results, and lessons learned from this approach are presented, using a comparative analysis of CIAT's experiences in Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil. Results have demonstrated to research and development institutions, donors, governments and policy makers that cassava is a crop than can play an important role in achieving development goals. Through the integrated approach, traditional cassava markets have diversified and overall demand for cassava has increased. This has reduced price variability while increasing yields and, as a result, created incentives for adopting improved technologies