Fornio is an ancient grain that’s been cultivated in West Africa for over 5,000 years. It is prized for its resilience and minimal water requirements, and has emerged as an important food source in discussions about regenerative and sustainable agriculture, particularly in regions facing water scarcity.
Brewgooder, the UK-based ethical brewer known for its support of clean water projects across Africa, recently created the world’s first Fairtrade-certified supply chain for the grain, linking Guinea and the UK. The project was set up in just six months thanks to close working between the B-Corp certified brewer and fonio farming cooperatives in Guinea.
Along this with work, Brewgooder has also launched the first beer made with Fairtrade-certified fonio grain, its Fonio Session IPA.
I talked to Brewgooder founder Alan Mahon to find out more about the project, and the potential to transform the fortunes of farmers in Guinea and beyond.
Christopher Marquis: Why is developing the Fairtrade beer category so important to Brewgooder?
Alan Mahon, founder of Brewgooder
Alan Mahon: Fairtrade as a movement is perfectly complimentary to our vision of brewing a fairer world, but fairtrade grain is pretty new territory in beer, and this is the first chance we’ve had to integrate a supply chain into our brewing which is based on the principles of shared prosperity and opportunity.
We’ve only been working with fonio as a grain itself for a little over a year. But increasingly as we saw the commercial opportunity we had for the beer as it scaled, we recognised the importance for that scale to be shared with the small holder farmers who grow the grain.
Marquis: What impact will this supply chain and use of Fonio grain have on farming communities in Guinea and beyond?
Mahon: Fonio’s ability to mature within just six to eight weeks – compared to 22 weeks for barley – with minimal water makes it a particularly sustainable choice for regions facing water scarcity. That’s why it’s so important to farmers in countries and regions such as Guinea and West Africa. It gives them the opportunity to operate on a level playing field with other suppliers, and that’s the opportunity we’re supplying through this initiative.
International attention on fonio can elevate its status as a valuable crop, opening doors to further investments and partnerships. We hope this could be huge for the farming communities in Guinea.
The consistent demand it will bring will create a new, stable market for fonio in Guinea, whilst also driving ethical and sustainable practices in line with Fairtrade principles.
The exact number of farmers who could benefit depends on the success of fonio’s introduction into the world of breweries and the scale of subsequent investment into the sector, however given the collective nature of farming cooperatives in the Foutah Jallon region, we can confidently say that hundreds of smallholder farmers and their families could directly benefit from this initiative in the next couple of years, and many more in the future. Additionally, the positive impacts could extend to neighbouring regions as knowledge and practices spread.
Marquis: What barriers have farmers in Guinea and West Africa had to encounter to date in getting their produce to market, and how will this Fairtrade arrangement help?
Mahon: Fonio farmers in Guinea historically have faced several significant challenges, which including a Lack of Infrastructure, limited access to markets, low productivity, and financial constraints.
Guinea is hampered by poor road networks and storage facilities, and this hampers efficient transportation and preservation of fonio, leading to post-harvest losses.
Farmers often struggle to access larger markets due to geographic isolation and lack of market information, restricting their ability to sell fonio at fair prices, while traditional farming methods and limited access to modern agricultural techniques and inputs result in low productivity and yields.
Financial constraints are also significant, with farmers frequently encountering difficulties in obtaining necessary funding for investing in better equipment, seeds, and fertilisers.
This supply chain will help alleviate these challenges, but it will take time. The cooperatives we are supporting have described our plans as critically important to fonio farming in Guinea for several reasons. They will help with market expansion, creating a new, stable market for fonio, ensuring farmers have a consistent demand for their produce.
By adhering to Fairtrade practices and principles, we will ensure that farmers receive fair compensation for their work, improving their financial stability and quality of life.
And by building capacity, our collaboration can open doors in future for additional training and support, helping farmers in Guinea and hopefully beyond adopt better agricultural practices, increase productivity, and improve the quality of their fonio.
Finally, our plans promote sustainable development and farming practices which are crucial for the long-term health of the environment and the agricultural economy in the region.
Marquis: Why have you made the supply chain ‘open grain’, and how will that work in reality? Do you expect other brewers to use this supply chain?
Mahon: Thanks to the great work of pioneers like Garrett Oliver, other brands such as Brooklyn Brewery, Guinness, and Omnipollo are increasingly using the grain in new and experimental ways with a view to making the beer a growing part of their arsenal of ingredients. Even much smaller, and more regional brewers in the UK have approached us to source the grain and use it in their brews.
The major pain point of mass adoption is a stable, scalable, fair and transparent supply chain. If we can help solve this problem with our open grain initiative then we think that could be a small but meaningful contribution to unlocking fonio’s adoption in brewing.
Ultimately, the more brewers use the supply chain, the greater the impact will be in Guinea, and hopefully beyond. That’s our motivation.
Marquis: This supply chain is focused on the UK, but is there scope in other international markets, and if so, how involved can Brewgooder be in that growth?
Mahon: We are far from limiting this to the UK – we’re inviting breweries from all over the world to source with us, and we feel comfortable that a brewer in the US, or the EU can access this supply chain just as easily as one in the UK. We’d welcome the chance to make this a reality for any brewer, anywhere in the world. This is just the beginning.