Miracle fonio: A solution to the future food security problem

Cereals of ancient origin that are gluten-free and rich in nutrients and amino acids can become a new food trend for humankind.

At the recent TED global conference in Tanzania, Pierre Thiam - one of Africa's most famous chefs, shared that he wanted to try the fortunes that the fonio brought to the Sahel - dry land. Barely stretches south of Sahara.

Fonio is a type of millet grown mainly in Africa.

The cereal has a flavorful blend of couscous seeds (a grain of rice seeds, popular in African and Middle Eastern countries) and taste of the match. It was grown on the African continent about 5,000 years ago.

Thiam suddenly found this grain many years ago in Southeastern Senegal while studying the material for his cooking book.

He discovered that this cereal was once very famous. It is found in the tombs of Egypt. The Dogon race also conceived that the whole universe also bounced from fonio seeds. However, this grain is now grown only in Western Sahel such as Kedougou - one of the poorest regions in Senegal.

Desertification and underemployment make many young people choose to migrate to other places to seek new opportunities. This is a common situation in the Kedougou region and many other parts of the Sahel, turning this land into a place with no future with a shortage of food and an opportunity to change.

'Being able to develop in harsh environments, Fonio is a great choice for the environment here. It tolerates poor soil and needs very little water to grow. It can live well in the harshest place where no plants can survive , 'Thiam said.

Fonio may be the answer to the world's food security problem.

Thiam said that fonio is the answer to the multi-billion dollar gluten-free industry and the world's ambition for a delicious and healthy food.

Last year, he signed a contract with US major nutrition food company Whole Food to bring fonio into the US market. This past July, this magical seed appeared on the shelves of food stores in New York.

However, the process of separating rice husks outside as well as grinding these grains and still retaining the nutrient content to turn them into food is still a challenge. Thiam hopes this problem can be solved if there is a plant to plant and process fonio right on the harsh lands of his homeland.

Small seeds, big project solution

With his discovery, Thiam defeated the colonial ideology of the Senegal people. It is the idea that their foods are of lower quality than those imported from China or bread from France and the grain of their country is only for the poor.

Pierre Thiam hopes to have a fonio plant and processing plant right on the harsh lands of Senegal.

Thiam said: 'The agricultural ability of the Sahel has not been properly exploited, all we need now is to change market conditions to develop that ability.'

The global TED conference is a gathering place for people with new and innovative ideas. The conference is held once a year in Africa over the past decade.

The person in charge of Okafor's Emeka conference said: 'Africa has the opportunity to lead the world by creating a new path for the era. The biggest challenge that the world can face in the next 20 years has appeared in Africa. It is a challenge of food security, creating millions of jobs in an increasingly automated world, scarce water resources and fighting against climate change. "

As for Thiam, he said: 'In a drought and poor area, Fonio can still grow well. This small grain is the big answer to Senegal's food security as well as the whole of Africa. '