A sustainable and nutritious grain that is easy to grow, can withstand climate shocks, provides food for millions of rural families across Africa, and has recently become a food trend among world celebrities. It is “fonio” or ancient African millet.
Millet is a variety of small grains including the fonio grain. It was one of the first plants to be cultivated in the drylands of Africa and remains a traditional staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa.
Fonio... Rich heritage and great potential
A crop rooted in ancient African cultures, and part of the human heritage within tribes, especially in the countries of the West of the continent, where it has been an important food for families for more than 5,000 years, and has successfully adapted to climate change over centuries.
To help everyone rediscover fonio and get the value it deserves in global markets and on family tables, two years ago the UN declared 2023 as the International Year of Millet, highlighting the nutritional, health, climate and economic benefits of fonio:
Healthy food
As a whole grain, fonio is a good source of essential nutrients, including antioxidants, minerals, proteins, and varying amounts of fiber. It is an effective source of iron at a low cost, and a nutritional alternative to traditional grains in the market. It is also gluten-free, making it a useful option for those with gluten sensitivity, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
Sustainable crop
Fonio is characterized by its ability to resist drought, tolerate diseases and pests, and adapt to extreme climatic events. Its cultivation does not require the depletion of natural resources, but on the contrary, it can grow in infertile and degraded soils within arid regions.
It is thus a truly sustainable crop and resilient to the climate crisis. It can be grown with minimal resources and effort, reduces land degradation, supports biodiversity and thus increases the efficiency and resilience of local agricultural systems in climate emergencies.
Solving the food security crisis
Millet accounts for less than 3% of the world's grain trade, so the UN recommends expanding millet cultivation in general, including fonio, because the world's population increase and climate change are affecting grain markets, and millet can provide a valuable alternative to conventional food grains.
Fonio represents an ideal solution to food scarcity, especially in dry seasons, a source of food security and improves the resilience of international trade markets while diversifying the global food system.
Supporting local communities and small farmers
It provides thousands of promising opportunities to support small farmers to make a living with minimal resources and confront the climate crisis, as women farmers improve their agricultural skills, which enhances productivity as well as family income.
Fonio can be eaten boiled or made into porridge, and can also be made into flour, which can help the local community enter different markets besides traditional grains, as fonio and millet can be used in innovative applications in the field of medicine and pharmaceuticals.
Fonio's popularity outside Africa
Fonio has gained popularity due to its amazing nutritional and environmental benefits, and many celebrities are now interested in adding fonio to their diet.
Independent American researcher Don Osborn, founder of the North American Millet Alliance, says he first encountered fonio in West Africa four decades ago, but now fonio is getting press coverage, becoming popular with prominent figures, and has been rediscovered in Europe and North America, he told the website Down To Earth
Bill Gates and Fonio Salad
On his official website, "Gates Note", American billionaire and founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, highlighted fonio grains as the food of the future, as they combat malnutrition and adapt to warming global conditions.
Gates is concerned about the problem of malnutrition, so he finds fonio a high-quality food source that can help keep children growing and boost food security in Africa, so he calls it "magic millet", despite it being a neglected and underutilized crop.
Gates said he had a great time learning to cook fonio with Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam, who is passionate about Africa's lost crops, at an event hosted by the Gates Foundation in 2022, where he learned to make a delicious fonio salad.
Some may call it “hungry rice” because it grows so quickly, while others consider it a “super food” for its nutritional value. Either way, sustainable fonio remains a way of life and the production of different, nutritious foods opens up new markets for farmers around the world.
