Fonio and Bambara Groundnut Value Chains in Mali: Issues, Needs, and Opportunities for Their Sustainable Promotion

Abstract

As the effects of climate change are severely straining West African agricultural systems, the adoption of more incisive interventions in support of sustainable development agendas for the region is highly critical and cannot be further delayed by governments. Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) are one important ally in pursuing resilience in both production and food systems because of their promising traits in terms of nutrition, adaptation to local agroecosystems, and economic potential for local populations. Focusing on fonio, a gluten-free traditional cereal, and Bambara groundnut, a protein-rich leguminous crop, we investigate issues in their production, commercialization, and consumption in southern Mali. The aim was to assess needs and opportunities for improving their value chains and increasing their use and societal benefits. Using a Rapid Market Appraisal method, we surveyed traders, producers, processors, and consumers of target crops in 2017 and 2018. Our findings indicate that while both crops are consumed and praised by local populations, critical bottlenecks inhibit their wider socioeconomic potential. Lack of access to inputs and equipment and presence of sand in the commercialized product are important issues for fonio, whereas the Bambara groundnut value chain suffers from poor processing facilities and lack of market promotion. Policy recommendations to tackle the identified bottlenecks are proposed.

Bambara Groundnut: An Underutilized Leguminous Crop for Global Food Security and Nutrition

“…Bambara groundnut is commonly consumed as snack food after roasting or boiling ( 14 , 69 ). The seeds and the flour have also been used to produce a myriad of traditional foods in different parts of Africa ( Figure 1 ) ( 6 , 14 , 53 , 56 , 70 ). During the preparation of local delicacies, Bambara groundnut is often paired with cereals such as maize and millet ( 6 , 69 ), which is beneficial in improving protein quality.…”

“…Bambara groundnut ( Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc) is a legume indigenous to Africa and is cultivated across the semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa region ( 5 ). It is a hardy crop and has been recognized as an important nutritious food source when food is scarce ( 6 ). This could be attributed to its climate-smart features, including its ability to fix nitrogen, and to grow under adverse environmental conditions such as poor soils and drought ( 7 , 8 ).…”

“…Bambara groundnut contains ~64.4% carbohydrate, 23.6% protein, 6.5% fat, and 5.5% fiber and is rich in minerals ( 9 ). It is relatively underutilized compared with major cash crops and has often been associated with small-scale, subsistence farming, with women being the major producers and processors ( 6 , 10 ). The utilization constraints of Bambara groundnut include the knowledge gap in improved seed system, agronomic practices, processing, and utilization.…”

Fonio grains: Physicochemical properties, nutritional potential, and food applications

“…The small‐sized fonio of the genus Digitaria is a traditional cereal grown in Western Africa (Ayenan, Sodedji, Nwankwo, Olodo, & Alladassi, 2018; Stapf, 1915). Compared with major cereals, such as wheat and rice, fonio is a type of underutilized cereal grains with potential for food applications (Mbosso et al., 2020). Fonio has attracted attention from some other parts of the world for food applications (Abrouk et al., 2020; Jideani, 2012; Laheri, & Soon, 2018).…”

“…The small size of fonio grains poses some processing issues. For example, sands and dirt may be attached easily on the grains, and extensive washing is needed before cooking fonio (Abdul & Jideani, 2019; Mbosso et al., 2020). Fonio grains with increased seed size remain to be developed by breeding.…”