How to UseThis nourishing naturally gluten-free grain is as versatile as it is easy to cook. Fonio comes precooked and dried to make preparation fast and simple. It's ready in just 5 min, and very forgiving during prep: -If it's too wet, cook or steam a bit longer -If it's too dry, add a bit more liquid. Fonio can quickly adapt and become an alternative in recipes featuring grains such as buckwheat, bulgur wheat, Israeli couscous, rice or quinoa because of its neutral flavor palette. Fonio is incredible at absorbing the flavor of anything that it's added to (soups, stews, gravies) or anything added into it (salad dressing, sauces, maple syrup). We recommend trying fonio as a gluten-free alternative to traditional wheat bulgur in tabbouleh or wheat couscous. We also love Fonio as a hearty hot breakfast cereal topped with your favorite fruit and syrup. This low-glycemic and easy-to-digest cereal can help keep that satisfied feeling for longer. | Product of AfricaFonio is a tiny nutrient dense grain native to West Africa. Grown in an area of land stretching from coastal Senegal to the northern tip of Cameroon, fonio is a staple crop in the sub-Saharan savanna climate of Africa and has played an important role in the region’s cuisine for generations. The people of West Africa have depended on fonio for thousands of years due to its nutritional benefits, as well as its ability to grow in poor soil conditions. The region is desertifying rapidly, but fonio has a deep root system which thrives in the poor, dry soil. With a unique sustainability, this fast-growing grain—which can mature from seed to harvest in just six to eight weeks— is drought and climate resistant. Knowing that the soil will be further depleted if monocropping is incentivized, our production partners plan to introduce to the market other amazing West African ingredients that grow in rotation with fonio and together will form a resilient, organic agricultural system. | How it HelpsThe Sahel Region is home to one of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Young people seeking job opportunities are often left little choice but to move to overcrowded cities where jobs are hard to find, or to risk their lives on the dangerous path towards Europe. An important goal is to create a sustainable source of income, to strengthen communities, and to increase the quality of life by ethically trading with farmers for fonio and other traditional crops. That's why we selectively source production partners who share our vision. They work with women-run cooperatives, farmers, and NGO’s (organizations run by citizens independent of government involvement) on-site to source fonio and promote regenerative farming practices. They commit to donating 1% of their sales (not their profits) to funds that provide quality of life services like electricity, water, and public gathering places in the villages that grow our fonio. |