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Calls are growing to invest more in Africa's traditional grains as a way to break its reliance on imported wheat, rice and maize.
Fonio grows naturally, where mainstream crops such as wheat and rice are harder to cultivate. It is also nutritious, tastes good and can be stored far longer than other grains.
The benefits of fonio are so marked that academics and policymakers are now calling for the grain, alongside other indigenous foods, to be embraced more widely across Africa to improve food security.
Research is needed in particular into how technology can reduce the manual toll of cutting the fonio grass and removing the husks.
Sabra Brock