Final Report Summary - FONIO (Upgrading quality and competitiveness of fonio for improved livelihoods in West Africa)
Traditional cereals constitute the staple diet of many African populations and regions, especially in the most isolated rural areas, and play an essential role in providing food for the poorest populations. They are well suited to local conditions, being reasonably resistant to drought, and help to maintain the environment by providing a covering of vegetation on ground which is ecologically fragile, and considered of little value.
Among traditional cereals, fonio (Digitaria exilis), is considered as the most ancient indigenous West African cereal. Nowadays, fonio still grows in farmers' fields in a vast area extending from Senegal to Chad mainly on eroded lateritic soils. In West Africa, farmers cultivate mainly white fonio (Digitaria exilis), which is also called fundi, findi, acha or 'hungry rice'. The term 'hungry rice' well describes the role of this little plant in local population life. Fonio supplies to several million people food early in the growing season, when main crops are still too immature to be harvested and when other food resources are scarce. Fonio consumption varies between years and seems to be dependent on the availability of other cereals. When other cereals are not available, for example due to a failing harvest, fonio consumption is high, and thus fonio consumption could be considered as one of the coping strategies for increasing household food security.
The relative stagnation of production is partly explained by a lack of research and development devoted to this product. In order to avoid the decline of this commodity, it is important to solve the many problems after the harvest, in particular by perfecting post-harvested techniques and by improving the quality and the follow-up of sales and distribution.
Today, fonio is produced by small enterprises and sold not only on local urban markets, but also to Africans emigrated in Europe and in United States. Indeed several small private enterprises, notably in Mali and Burkina, have been set up to cater for the export markets. There is strong consumer demand for fonio due to its nutritional qualities, and because it helps to satisfy the demand for a more varied cereal diet. That is the reason why a research/development project named 'Upgrading quality and competitiveness of fonio for improved livelihoods in West Africa' (FONIO) was elaborated to achieve the following objectives. The FONIO project started formally at January 1, 2006 per three years duration.
FONIO's objective is to upgrade quality and competitiveness of fonio in West Africa by improving production (adapted varieties, appropriated production and farming systems, ), technology (innovation in post-harvest mechanisation and processing, ) and marketing systems for local and export markets. In Africa, the increasing interest for fonio, as well from consumers than from small enterprises, demonstrates the possibility for the development of good quality products based on fonio. For European consumers, the desirable criteria are nutritional quality, originality, healthier properties and environmental friendliness. The production of exportable value added fonio products is conceivable and must be promoted.
To achieve the overall objective, FONIO project promote an interdisciplinary and innovative approach involving scientists from various backgrounds: food technology, nutrition, process engineering, mechanisation, social sciences, and agronomy. It support research / development actions with a participatory approach involving producers, processors, women's groups and small enterprises that will benefit directly and quickly from the research results.
Many results were obtained under the FONIO project, in terms of knowledge of the fonio commodity chain. On a scientific level, the project enabled the development of analysis protocols specifically suited to studies of small grains, and precise results were obtained, notably in terms of knowledge of the fonio product (physical, biochemical and nutritional characteristics and quality) and criteria for promoting fonio on urban and export markets. Major information were also collected and analysed on farming and cropping systems (inventory of the main ecotypes, innovations to use fonio as a diversification crop .) and practical results were obtained to identify and satisfy the expectations of local operators as SMEs (e.g. adapted dryers).
The many results obtained under the project should not be seen as the culmination of the work done, but rather as a starting point for future operations, with a view to more effective promotion of fonio, a cereal that has long been neglected.
Among traditional cereals, fonio (Digitaria exilis), is considered as the most ancient indigenous West African cereal. Nowadays, fonio still grows in farmers' fields in a vast area extending from Senegal to Chad mainly on eroded lateritic soils. In West Africa, farmers cultivate mainly white fonio (Digitaria exilis), which is also called fundi, findi, acha or 'hungry rice'. The term 'hungry rice' well describes the role of this little plant in local population life. Fonio supplies to several million people food early in the growing season, when main crops are still too immature to be harvested and when other food resources are scarce. Fonio consumption varies between years and seems to be dependent on the availability of other cereals. When other cereals are not available, for example due to a failing harvest, fonio consumption is high, and thus fonio consumption could be considered as one of the coping strategies for increasing household food security.
The relative stagnation of production is partly explained by a lack of research and development devoted to this product. In order to avoid the decline of this commodity, it is important to solve the many problems after the harvest, in particular by perfecting post-harvested techniques and by improving the quality and the follow-up of sales and distribution.
Today, fonio is produced by small enterprises and sold not only on local urban markets, but also to Africans emigrated in Europe and in United States. Indeed several small private enterprises, notably in Mali and Burkina, have been set up to cater for the export markets. There is strong consumer demand for fonio due to its nutritional qualities, and because it helps to satisfy the demand for a more varied cereal diet. That is the reason why a research/development project named 'Upgrading quality and competitiveness of fonio for improved livelihoods in West Africa' (FONIO) was elaborated to achieve the following objectives. The FONIO project started formally at January 1, 2006 per three years duration.
FONIO's objective is to upgrade quality and competitiveness of fonio in West Africa by improving production (adapted varieties, appropriated production and farming systems, ), technology (innovation in post-harvest mechanisation and processing, ) and marketing systems for local and export markets. In Africa, the increasing interest for fonio, as well from consumers than from small enterprises, demonstrates the possibility for the development of good quality products based on fonio. For European consumers, the desirable criteria are nutritional quality, originality, healthier properties and environmental friendliness. The production of exportable value added fonio products is conceivable and must be promoted.
To achieve the overall objective, FONIO project promote an interdisciplinary and innovative approach involving scientists from various backgrounds: food technology, nutrition, process engineering, mechanisation, social sciences, and agronomy. It support research / development actions with a participatory approach involving producers, processors, women's groups and small enterprises that will benefit directly and quickly from the research results.
Many results were obtained under the FONIO project, in terms of knowledge of the fonio commodity chain. On a scientific level, the project enabled the development of analysis protocols specifically suited to studies of small grains, and precise results were obtained, notably in terms of knowledge of the fonio product (physical, biochemical and nutritional characteristics and quality) and criteria for promoting fonio on urban and export markets. Major information were also collected and analysed on farming and cropping systems (inventory of the main ecotypes, innovations to use fonio as a diversification crop .) and practical results were obtained to identify and satisfy the expectations of local operators as SMEs (e.g. adapted dryers).
The many results obtained under the project should not be seen as the culmination of the work done, but rather as a starting point for future operations, with a view to more effective promotion of fonio, a cereal that has long been neglected.
