This Drought-Resistant Grain Could Feed a Warmer World 

Sorghum plants can practically grow on concrete upside down. The stalk is full of sugar juice ,the berries can be pounded into a staple flour,the the compressed stalks are then fed to cattle. One guy can harvest 2 acres per day with a machete. I designed a steam turbine power plant for Rawandan villages,that ran on Sorghum ethanol.

Açaí is now known and consumed around the world as another "super food". When I first tasted it, in 1983, it was a traditional food in the Amazonian state of Pará, here in Brazil. From the poorest citizen to the Governor, everyone consumed açaí on a daily basis. It is extracted from the seeds of a beautiful palm tree, Euterpe oleracea. Only a thin outer layer is used. Despite all the local prestige, it was unknown in Brazil outside the Amazon and was on the way to extinction, due to massive cutting for the extraction and export of palm hearts. Well, açaí was saved by consumption in Rio de Janeiro, initially by bodybuilders. They have been the ones who publicized its benefits throughout Brazil and the world. Those who previously cut the palm trees started to cultivate them and today the production is no longer by extractivism, as in the 80's. There are already selected cultivars, more productive etc. Species saved. All this to say that it might be worth encouraging consumption around the world, even if it is initially expensive. With strong demand, everything happens faster. Good luck for the fonio!

First time I have heard of this grain. Moreover, the lady telling the story is a very important informer: Scale it up. Thank you very much.

The processing of this crop could involve a lot of organic waste that would be great for an anaerobic digestion process, generating onsite power for the processing machinery and great fertiliser to further enrich the land. I'd love to set up an anaerobic digester at one of these processing facilities.

I wish Chef Binta and her colleagues a smooth path to great success, as they pioneer the mass production of fonio. I hope to see this expand for people living in the Sahel, for women's financial security, for our environment, and for African economic growth; I hope to be able to try it, as well.

Sounds like an ideal crop for Australian farmers to get into too

I hope this works out well because its going to be agriculture that will be the biggest incentive to build the green wall to its specification, and if they can reach the goal in mind then they will push the desert back even farther for more agriculture gains.

Finally! So glad to see ancient grains of West Africa here. You can purchase fonio in the States check out the brand Yolele foods, owned by Chef Pierre Thiam. The fonio is organic & grown by women in Senegal & Mali

I am from India from TAMILNADU. Here we divide as millets varieties. It was used as older days. Now we forget those millets. Now organic awareness bringing back those Millet varieties. Around 6 main millet varieties famously used now. But cost is very high as compare to rice like 3 to 4 times. In future those prices may come down in high production. Nice topic.. spread the awareness of drought tolerance crops for better future.

From the Philippines here, thank you for sharing this.

I've seen a few TED talks on fonio. A mill has been developed (by an African engineer) to process it - not sure how widespread it has been marketed.

There needs to be more research into it. How to mechanize and scale up all levels of production. How to increase yields. Only then will it be able to compete with other grains.

Speaking of passing down knowledge... the video title or video cover could have included the name of the grain, fonio. How hard is to realise that?

Needs to be cross bred with other millet to improve size, then back bred for hardiness.

Millets were commonly used in India before wheat, now wheat flour is like ₹40/kg while millets generally are priced ₹130/kg, which is about 3 times as costly, when it comes to taste, wheat definitely wins, but in terms of nutrition millets are a clear winner, they have more micronutrients, no gluten, more fibres, easily digestible and have low glycaemic index (low blood sugar spike).

Super 👍👍✌️..every country should encourage local crops and ban Bayer

I love fonio. I have had a Jollof fonio, and it was delicious!

this looks insanly inefficient , also fonio doesn´t process modern fertilizers very well. the yield of kcal per acre of land is also 1/10 of wheat. i dont see this as an upgrade in any regard

How long before this crop is exploited?

Man, they are realllllly stretching the definition of "colonize". Even pursuing their own culinary interests is not decolonizing. Europeans weren't sailing to other countries tries to force their cuisine on everyone. Honestly, for Africa's own benefits, people there should not focus so much on their role as a victim.

I'd have preferred more analysis from the business angle than feelgood culture content. Some barebones googleing turned up a USAID article in March of this year about a project between the US and Mali. A grant for 1.98m to establish the US as the #1 market for the grain by reaching 2,400 metric tons of fonio annually within 2.5 years. Togo supplied the US with the majority of its fonio purchases in 2021 with around 173 tons imported into Illinois according to flexport's US Import data. According to Eurostat, France was the largest importer of fonio in the EU with 571 tonnes in 2021 (331 of which came from non-EU countries so 240 tonnes produced in-house) accounting for 59.5% of EU fonio imports, but only .4% of EU grain imports overall. It seems to me that that 700k production might be mainly consumed by western african nations rather than exported. I'd have preferred a Bloomberg analysis of that sort of info.

Quinoa is the new bread. Hemp is the new plastic.

A single sorghum plant can produce 3 pounds of grain. One sorghum variety in Mongolia being cultivated by Mongolian nomads in the 1950s was recorded to be able to produce 4.95 pounds of grain under the harsh hot desert like conditions of Mongolia which is alternatingly EXTREMELY COLD ALSO for Mongolia is a combination of extreme cold and extreme heat.

It is grown in India for a long time

Very cool to learn about great potential thats readily available like this.

I'm Italian-American I love to get this and try something I love cooking. Send it to Italy see what the Italians do with it it's in our nature to make it better. Our cuisine is one of the tops in the world. I love when humans think outside the box something that is right in front of us and where you neglect it. I hope this changed the world in this region to help feed the people. I believe it's a god-given right for people to eat and drink and breathe. God bless the people of Africa.

Glad to see this grain is easily available in my US state--and hopefully my purchasing from small companies will benefit actual growers (not buying from a disinterested billionaire will help).

It's very tasty. You can also cook it with milk and sugar for new. Kind of like the way rolled oats are prepared.

@bloomberg, perhaps a report on the Kansas-based Land Institute’s perennial wheat and rice varieties is in order.

I love all the grains, though I am weary of the GMO types. This sounds like a really good crop for USA and Mexico to grow as well as other desert places too. Maybe Fonio will help the Colorado river reach the ocean once again while also feeding the people more nutritious diet? heat does provide straw and corn provides sielage, surely rice stalks are useful too. Can the rest of the fonio plan be used to feed animals or provide bedding for them?

It's not decolonisation to cook food from your home country in a new country where it isn't grown. That's just foreign food. My Chinese takeaway is doing as much decolonisation as this lady is.

And you have to restrict non african grown fonio and its by products from entering the market

First time I've heard of this grain... I'd have liked the name spelled out earlier in the video... and I learnt more (while being distracted not knowing the name) by being persistent and watching till I saw the spelling, and on to the end. I'll look out for it and try it. Here's to the flourishing of this grain and it's nourishing our people.

Star Trek. Quadrotriticale was a high-yield, perennial grain. It's real. Quadrotriticale is Real and Renewable The Canadian-grown crop Triticale, a combination of wheat and rye together, can grow in areas where there is little water and land nutrients.

Dr.Khadar Vali from India have been saying millets cultivation is the future. Rice, Wheat requires enormous amount of water. Millets can grow everywhere.

local foods should be prioritized. the plants are made for local climates. I hope that people invest in processing machine for this grain.

No, thanks. I prefer quinoa if we're talking about drought tolerant crops.

Just so you know, Rice and Bamboo are from the grass family.

This looks more like foxtail millet ! I’m sure it’s in millets family and we in India already have it ..

Hmmm I would rather eat sorghum, ensete, and teff. Fonio is tasteless. But maybe I lack the cooking technique that west Africans use.

sorghum, millets are very hardy crops capable of growing in arid regions without much maintenance. I am from India and in the state of Karnataka , the northern Karnataka villages have always been drought ridden. but Sorghum and a few kinds of millets grew there with little effort. and the best part is that these can be harvested within 4 months from sowing. food shortage I personally believe is a myth. There is more than enough food to feed the world 3 times a day. It is our responsibility to reverse climate change. its straight politics to blame climate change for food shortage. every inch of available land can be used to grow some kind of produce. every window sill every balcony every backyard , frontyard every terrace every porch can be used to grow something edible. I have a kitchen and a living room window sill where I grow creepers like gourds and herbs. the space is just 4 ft x2.5x6 ft but I get enough vegetables for my use. some planters can be kept inside the house too for stuff that dont need too much sun. e.g mustard greens, spinach fenugreek greens can be grown with just a few hours of sunlight too.

I spread the word years ago about Fonio benefits and how it could change nutrition in a water depraved world. It's not elegant nor glutenous therefore hard to exploit.

You should make pizza crust with it and figure out a recipe that beats traditional wheat crust. A super food that can take hold in places like Italy where the home of pizza is and bring better health is a win win. That’s the one food everyone knows of world wide.

Who dosn't love *Couscous* 😋

I wish that we continue to partially use traditional methods. The past 2 years should have reminded us that growing your own food is always better than imports.

Fonio gives only 366 kcal per square meter. Compare this to the potato with 1300 kcal per square meter and you see my point. Cultivating fonio only makes sense in areas that are too dry for other crops. And fonio still needs water sadly the video doesnt mention how much. A typical short video showing hope without giving the necessary facts.

Thanks sister

Noone want to eat some grain that hard to process and 8x more expensive than rice

"A superfood reputation.." Yeah.., funny thing, that... Any food that has at least one nutritional component is advertised as a "Super Food!" --- "It's high in this! And it's high in that! Especially when compared to ______ (X)" I'm all for developing a market for these people, especially when there's little else, but "Super Food" designation is a purely marketing term. But all's fair in love, war, and business.., right?

Hope for future generations.

Why can't the husk be eaten, if the grain is so small. The husk can't be bad for you?

Before 1960's no one focused on Water intensive crops in India... Suddenly Green revolution came suppressed Draught crops... Imbalance happened... 1990 again we saw full of Chemical fertilizer, Chemical Pesticides... Today food, water is poisoned...

why do you have to remove the husk? rice can be eaten with or without the husk....quinoa is cooked in the husk and eaten that way...i love quinoa....many grains are eaten with or without the husk........maybe all the vitamins are in the husk...like most grains.....

Why replace if you can supplement?

Just beautiful!

I guess this is little millet

When i hear words " Food for African" . i'm excited.

Depending heavily on wheat and rice causes starvation and is a major risk to humanity. More power to non-traditional grains that our ancestors depended on just a century ago for food

kinda looks like the grass in my yard

Wjat is that little sprinkle???

There are many millets that will change the world food problem.. and also they are nutritive.. drought resistant too.. but we didn't gave them importance.

What is the name fonio?

Nice docu. anyone here who can help with more information about fonio diversity or germplams!

Because engineered food won't have unforeseen health consequences..... Right? Right???

I'm sure the green biscuits you'll make from it will taste just fine and the rich people who will invest in the monopoly that will own the land it will grow on will be fantastically happy with their investment.

4:07: Then why not put the matter to the African Union?

No Gates GMO's. Unnecessary.

I am not cool with people wanting to adapt to a warmer world, through pure selfishness........I cannot stand the heat. Nothing kills my drive to do anything like heat.

Funny how these current food systems have worked allllllll this time but now they dont and its all climate changes fault!! Klaus and his compatriots make very compelling stories.

It is look difficult to Harvest

Yes. Why should i cook something that is brought thousands of miles from my kitchen. WHY? Time to leave US and European foods and come back to own culture.

Is fonio the indigenous name?

Amaranth, anyone? Sorghum great for grain and 'sugar'!

Nice

This really won't go very far because a 2,000-year cycle has turned, and Northern Africa has rebecome a food grow zone. Rainfall has increased so much that dry riverbeds are flowing again. The largest reserves of ground water are now in Northern Africa. Modern agriculture's best future gains with normal crops is now there.

in a warmer world wont Canada have even vaster areas with farmland? same with siberia

millets are the solution for the health and climate crisis we have rn. In India millets are being used again in many households. We cook little millet and foxtail millet in our home.

Why not cover crops???

We chop this as wild bush in the Caribbean lol

It's still better and more efficient if certain drought resistant less water consuming varieties of wheat is developed. That would be more practical

Share and Save the World

In India we have Millets, Sorghum, Barley, Kodo, Kutki and dozens of other Grains.

Then GMO it to make the grains bigger.

It’s not a warmer world though places with drought have experienced drought for millennia

hausa-fulani friendship

You will eat zhe bugs and weedz and be happy.

Please name this grain

When there's so many superfood yet world choose non super food to grow and popular as world basis daily food

Maybe just stop destroying the environment. Easier and better ROI for farmers. Just repeal meat, dairy, and egg subsidies and redirect to supporting farmers growing plants for humans instead of livestock. What's that? You don't want a better ROI for farmers? Instead you want to play the patent game with nature, creating serfs out of people working the land? Oh, ok, scratch my advice. You're doing GREAT! This video was incredibly inspirational. I can't wait until we engineer our way out of this problem! Life's gonna be sweet.

Grow more trees

Too late and too many other factors required for crops that will be changing soon My garden crops stopped producing last year after 2 nights warmer than the days…and did not start back No earthworms in 2 years no fly larvae in garbage cans all summer - horticulturist and I can see the comet is almost here

*Fonio* - orphan crop

So now let's hope no one develop this grain, so it yelds more and all it's nutrients vanish. like todays most popular grains wheat and corn. Ancient grains are growing in demand, as people have found out that our modern grains makes them not feel so good. Rooting for the Fonio/Upma!! =)

Patented by..?

Bloomberg cares. Thank you for these stories.

Essentially manna

I hope this super doesn’t get patient and then stolen

2:10 Decolonize Food... let them starve.

De-colonizing Africa

Move where the food grows. The US southern border is wide open. The Cartel will let you work it off.