Fonio (Digitaria exilis) is an ancient cereal native to semi-arid and sub-humid regions of West Africa where it has been cultivated for thousands of years and remains an important subsistence crop today. This nutritious grain is appreciated by consumers for its good taste. The crop has a critical role in the food security of rural households because of its early maturation and for this reason has traditional ceremonial value among many communities in the region. Despite its valuable characteristics and widespread cultivation, fonio has received limited attention from research and development, which could help to strengthen its role in diversified production systems for climate resilience and income generation.
Cultivated in semi-arid lands of the Sahel, fonio has low water requirements and can escape drought because of its fast maturation. Fonio is considered the world’s fastest maturing cereal. Germination occurs just three to four days after sowing, and grain is produced as soon as six weeks after planting. Sowing of fonio typically occurs during May or June before the beginning of the brief rainy season and the plants are harvested in September. The fonio harvest breaks the famine period, providing food during a time of critical shortage before other crops, such as sorghum and maize, are ready for harvest. In addition to drought tolerance, fonio is able to thrive in poor soils without the use of fertilizers and is resistant to flooding. Because of its low nutrient demands, fonio is typically planted later in crop rotation cycles, after maize or sorghum.
Compared to other commonly consumed cereals in West Africa, fonio is an excellent source of protein and is rich in amino acids methionine and cysteine, which are deficient in rice, maize, and sorghum. Also in comparison to these other cereals, fonio supplies the greatest amounts of iron, zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. Fonio is furthermore a good source of fibre, calcium, copper, and folate. Fonio is considered safe for people with gluten intolerance and has a low glycemic index, which makes it an ideal source of carbohydrates for diabetics. However, antinutrients present in fonio may decrease the bioavailability of certain nutrients. For example, phytate forms complexes with iron which can interfere with its absorption. The phytate content of fonio is reduced but not completely eliminated during processing.
Processing of fonio is mainly carried out by women, and is extremely labor-intensive. The first steps include threshing to separate the grains from the plant which is typically done by beating or trampling the straw. After threshing, grains are dried for 3-4 days. Removing the several seed coats of fonio is difficult due to the small size and fragility of the grain, and dehusking and milling are done manually using a pestle and mortar along with the addition of sand, and may take hours to complete. As a result of this, women are turning towards grains which are easier to process and will minimize drudgery, allowing them more time for other household responsibilities. Mechanical threshing and dehulling machines for fonio have been developed that facilitate the processing but access to such technology is not easy for all rural communities.
Fonio is often made into couscous to serve with fish or meat, boiled, made into porridge or soups, or ground into flour to make bread. It may also be popped and eaten as a snack. Common recipes incorporating fonio include fôyô, kini, and tô. Common products developed for the market include parboiled fonio and djouka (mixed with peanut).
A holistic approach addressing multiple bottlenecks in supply and demand is being applied for fonio in Mali through the project “Linking agrobiodiversity value chains, climate adaptation and nutrition: Empowering the poor to manage risk”. Multiple stakeholders are being consulted and involved to devise value chain interventions that are pro-poor and gender-sensitive. Led by Institut d'Economie Rurale (IER), key actions being taken are participatory evaluations of diverse landraces and improved varieties to identify well-adapted materials, training women on processing methods and novel recipes for the target crops, investigating and introducing processing technology to reduce drudgery, and building collective action and communication among stakeholders to improve the organization of the value chains and farmers’ income. Sensitization and awareness raising on the value of fonio for climate resilience is aimed to increase demand and consumption of this important cereal by the participating communities. Read more about this work, ongoing from 2015 to 2018 on the IFAD-EU NUS Project page.
