Marketing and organic certification of fonio

Traditionally, fonio is grown for home consumption, especially to provide food during the period of the year before other crops are ready for harvest. So, traditionally only a small percentage of fonio is marketed. In recent years though, the percentage of marketed fonio has increased. Today fonio is sold on many local markets and is traded within West Africa. A very small percentage is traded outside West Africa, some of it being sold as luxury product to Europe and the United States. Locally marketed fonio is mostly sold as hulled fonio. For export mostly precooked fonio is required. Thanks to improvements in post-harvest processing and new market opportunities, the crop has gained new interest among farmers.

Most farmers grow fonio on plots under 1 hectare. In order to meet market requirements and improve profits, farmers have to produce larger quantities. This applies especially to the marketing of certified organic fonio.

Cleanliness, an ideal milling degree and a light colour are quality requirements considered to be essential by consumers, and thus strongly determine the price of fonio. These requirements need to be kept in mind when processing fonio. Precooked fonio is becoming increasingly common and gives higher prices.

Other considerations for organic certification (similar to production of other cereals) include:

• Farmers should have sizeable land to produce commercial volumes and to be able to cover the extra costs of certification. To be encouraged to invest in soil fertility management and long-term organic management, the land should be owned by the producers, or they should have an assured long-term lease on the land.
• Farmers of the same village with adjacent fields can form an organic producer organisation to minimise the risks of contamination of their crops from application of pesticides in neighbouring fields.
• The producers should have access to at least one processing facility (especially for milling and packing), where they can negotiate for preferential treatment of their harvests to minimise contamination with non-organic cereals. During processing, any contamination of the organic fonio from conventionally grown fonio and chemical substances should be avoided. Eventually, as volumes increase, they can acquire their own processing facilities.
• All post-harvest equipment used for handling conventional fonio should be adequately cleaned before being used for organic fonio. It is also very important to use clean bags or containers that have not been used for synthetic fertilisers or any chemicals. Any other reusable bags or containers must be sufficiently washed before using them for harvested produce.