Fonio, a grain for the future, with special properties.
WHY CHOOSE FONIO
For thousands of years it has been cultivated without fertilizer and pesticides. That makes it easy to grow it organically, without extra cost for the farmers. Because harvesting and threshing is done with man/woman power and further processing is mainly done manually, the whole cycle is sustainable.
Fonio has a nutty taste and is very popular with its own population for this special taste.
Fonio grows in poor sandy soil and requires little water. This makes it extremely suitable for growing on the edge of the desert.
The vegetation prevents the desert from expanding and can even push it back. The plants also prevent erosion of the soil.
The Fonio project is organized by cooperatives of women. They take care of the processing such as peeling and cleaning, precooking, vacuum packaging and the sale on the market or, the surplus, as export.
As a result, the women and their families have social security and they provide healthy food.
Due to its high nutritional value with essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins, it is a complete staple food.
Fonio grows in dry areas on sandy soil without fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides,
and can be harvested after just 6 to 8 weeks.
The SYMFONIO project supplies organic fonio from Burkina Faso and the Sahel region. The aim of SYMFONIO is, to provide farmers with enough yield for their own use and a surplus for export, through the production of nutritious crops.
The cultivation of fonio counteracts desertification and erosion and can even make desert soil fertile again.
SYMFONIO works with a cooperative of women in the Bobo Dioulasso region.
It gives the women a life of their own, promotes organic farming and healthy food, improves the climate and preserves the environment.
SYMFONIO helps to increase productivity through a better organic practice.
This creates a trade product with opportunities for export and a better income locally.
As the oldest cultivated African grain, fonio had and has spiritual connotations.
It was used for ancestor worship and as a part of the dowry.
The Dogon people from Mali call it PO, “Seed of the Universe”, which means grain as the root of all existence.
The fonio project is run by peasant women. The men take care of the harvesting with sickles, and of the threshing of the grain. The women hull, wash and clean the fonio, cook and dry the grain, sell it on the market or pack it for export.
The Fonio grain is versatile and nutritious with essential amino acids lacking in other grains. It has a high content of iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and B vitamins. In addition, it contains a lot of fiber and is free from allergens – gluten.
It can be used as porridge for breakfast, as couscous, and in bread, pastry and burgers. Fonio can replace other grains such as semolina in soup, dishes and salads. Our fonio is pre-cooked and easy to prepare.
A valuable grain, of local sustainable origin, easily digestible and tasty.
