In a search for recent podcasts relating to fonio, I found that some of the most recent ones focus on the use of fonio in brewing beers. Here are 4, followed by my general comments. "Garrett Oliver Dishes on Fonio Rising; Plus, Breeze Galindo Discusses the Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling," Brewbound Podcast, 2 Jan 2025 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garrett-oliver-dishes-on-fonio-rising-... (Jump to 50:03 for the segment with Garrett Oliver, which altho only about 10 min., is very good. Mr. Oliver is the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, and collaborated with Chef Pierre Thiam of Yolélé Foods on a noted fonio beer brand.) "Fonio, Fonio, What The Heck Are You, Fonio?" Experimental Brewing (Episode 207), 14 April 2025 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-207-fonio-fonio-what-the-heck-... (There's mention of fonio in brewing at 21:25, and then a longer segment beginning at 27:30. This discussion with Ashton Lewis of Brewers Supply Group gets very technical.) "Garrett Oliver and Vinnie Cilurzo are Brewing for Impact With Fonio Grain," Craft Beer & BrewingMagazine Podcaast, 27 September 2024 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garrett-oliver-and-vinnie-cilurzo-are-... (Two noted craft brewers, Garrett Oliver, mentioned above, and Vinnie Cilurzo, of Russian River, share information about fonio and their own experiences in a wide ranging and sometimes technical discussion. Full duration 1 hr., 8 min.) "Fonio Friends, There's a New Grain in Town," False Bottomed Girls, 24 March 2025 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fonio-friends-theres-a-new-grain-in-to... (The two podcast hosts discuss fonio and its use in brewing beer. Duration 44 min.) Comments on content of one or more of the above: * Fonio at the edge of the desert: Fonio does indeed grow in marginal areas including with low rainfall, but appears to be more common in areas with somewhat higher rainfall (savanna) and at elevation. Personally, my introduction to fonio was in the Plateau region of southern Togo (rainfall over 40" / 1000mm per year), and then the Futa Jalon region of Guinea (rainfall perhaps as high as 80" / 2300 mm). * Sand: The sand in fonio may come from a common traditional method of dehulling the grain - pounding in a mortar with sand. I'm not sure to what degree sand may be introduced in threshing and subsequent gathering of the seed. Also not sure whether mechanization of threshing and dehulling may eliminate the problem * Reason for marginalization of fonio as a crop: It's more complicated than a colonial plan to suppress its cultivation - without making excuses for colonialism. Fonio has always been labor intensive to harvest & process. relative to pearl millet, sorghum, corn, & arguably even rice. At the same time, in drier areas, pearl millet and sorghum, which are both indigenous staples, are more common crops. In humid areas, corn - introduced long ago - is unsurprisingly very productive, which has obvious appeal to smallholder farmers. Colonial regimes did push cash crops - such as peanuts in Senegal - and monocultures, and such policies certainly can compete with staple production. But I have not seen anything to suggest any active discouragement of fonio cultivation. * Fwiw, I personally don't drink alcoholic beverages, so can't comment on the fonio beer products mentioned, but if any of you do and can, please share your experience. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance