Recognizing and Evaluating the Production, Processing and Storage stages of Fonio Seeds, an African Grain

Recognizing and Evaluating the Production, Processing and Storage stages of Fonio Seeds, an African Grain

During the thousands of years since the advent of agriculture, many plants have been planted to feed humans and livestock, however, today only a few species are cultivated on a large scale. Among cereals, corn, wheat and rice are the main foodstuffs of many people. Some species, called rare grains, were forgotten during revolutions (agriculture and industry) despite their important role in the food security of some of the poorest people. These products, which are well adapted to harsh weather conditions, are resistant to drought and play a role in preserving the environment by guaranteeing vegetation in ecologically sensitive areas. One of these crops is Fonio, a fine-grained cereal that has long been grown as a staple food for many rural families in West Africa, and urban consumers around the world are rediscovering it. This article introduces the fungus plant and tries to identify and evaluate the stages of production, processing and storage of seeds of this African grain. The purpose of this article is to express the relevant information in simple and non-technical language. Most of this data is extracted from projects or research programs that began in the late 1990s, In particular, Fonio Post-Harvest Technology Improvement projects, the project Improving the quality and competitiveness of the Fonio industry in West Africa and the project Improving the post-harvest and development of Fonio in Africa .