Yolélé

Fonio, teff, baobab fruit, pulses like bambara groundnut and other #ForgottenCrops offer immense nutritional and environmental benefits. It's time to reclaim Africa's agricultural heritage and unlock its vast potential to transform the continent's agrifood systems. #4Betters

🏆 Our Fonio Rising series just took home Brewbound's 2024 Best New Product Award! 🏆 Fonio, an ancient African grain, is at the heart of these beers, including our Pale Ale, Double Pilsner, and a series of global collaborations through Brewing for Impact. We're excited to celebrate not just great beer, but a step forward in sustainability and innovation, empowering smallholder farmers in West Africa.

Un article de Agence Ecofin (https://lnkd.in/ejgtJiAE) nous apprend que les initiatives pour la production de blé en Afrique de l’Ouest se multiplient mais qu'il est essentiel de se questionner sur la pertinence de ces projets pour l’autosuffisance alimentaire de la région. Je pense qu'il résume assez bien notre situation actuelle. Le développement de la culture du blé, bien qu'il vise à réduire la dépendance aux importations, présente plusieurs défis. Nos conditions climatiques rendent sa production coûteuse et difficilement compétitive avec les marchés internationaux. En parallèle, des ressources locales précieuses – comme le fonio, le manioc, le mil, le sorgho, et bien d'autres – restent sous-exploitées. Ces cultures, beaucoup plus riches en nutriments que le blé, sont un levier pour sécuriser l’alimentation de millions d'africains. Non seulement elles répondent aux goûts et habitudes alimentaires de la région, mais elles sont aussi mieux adaptées aux sols et au climat. Pour répondre aux enjeux alimentaires et climatiques, il est donc nécessaire de développer et conduire une stratégie de diversification basée sur les cultures locales, elle renforcera la résilience des systèmes alimentaires africains et favorisera les économies régionales. Cela passe par la valorisation des semences locales, la recherche agro-industrielle, le soutien aux agriculteurs et l'accès au financement pour les entrepreneurs qui s'engagent dans la promotion de ces cultures. #SécuritéAlimentaire #Fonio Philip Teverow Chef Pierre Thiam Abdourahmane Diop Madji Sock Diardé Ba IFC - International Finance Corporation Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) Joliba Institute Aaron Adu SOS SAHEL International France Michel Ghanem

Brewing for Impact is closing out 2024 with a bang! We’re proud to introduce Guinness Fonio Stout, a limited-edition beer crafted by Guinness and Brooklyn Brewery! 🍻 Now available at select stores in the Greater NY area. This stout is brewed with the ancient African grain fonio, blending Guinness’s Irish heritage with the vibrancy of West African culture and the creative spirit of Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver. Check out the below video to learn more about this limited-edition Fonio Stout. (Diageo)

Water, yeast, hops and grain. Those are the ingredients we have to play with and probably why excitement in beer appears to have been largely driven by David Beckham's hand this year. But what if there was an ingredient that offered “reason to talk"? An ingredient that added new flavors, required zero inputs (no fertilizer, pesticide, or irrigation), was climate-resilient and supported smallholder farmers?   And what if that ingredient was so intriguing that it led to a collaboration with the iconic Guinness (a truly fascinating deep dive into their history, traditions and commitment to innovation across the globe)? Well that ingredient exists. It's called fonio. And it's the oldest cultivated grain in Africa, dating back over 5,000 years (it had just never been used in beer until Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver heard about it from Chef Pierre Thiam at Questlove's house). This is why fonio was the catalyst for our "Brewing for Impact" initiative and has also acted as a reminder (to me at least) as to why we need to keep searching/creating/collaborating outside of the usual confines in order to connect with new consumers/customers/communities (otherwise we'll just end up with David Beckham's beautiful hands doing all the talking). Massive respect to all those we've collaborated with on this wild ride Yolélé , Jing-A (京A) Brewing Co., Brewgooder, Diageo, Omnipollo, Thornbridge Brewery, Russian River Brewing Co, MAISON KALAO, Carlsberg Group and godspeed to the myriad of ways fonio is being carried forward by breweries, stores, bars, and communities across the world!!

The latest OECD-FAO report anticipates a significant rise in rice consumption across Africa by 2033 (28.5 kg annually per African compared to 25.1 kg in 2023) increasing dependency on imports, projected to reach 26 million tons annually (https://lnkd.in/exupGE97). However, this trend can and should be reversed by focusing on Africa’s wealth of resilient and nutritious local cereals. Fonio, in particular, thrives in Africa’s varied climates, using far fewer resources and much less water than rice, making it a more sustainable and environmentally friendly choice. By investing in the research, funding, and promotion of fonio and similar crops, African countries can reduce import dependency, strengthen food sovereignty, and bolster local agriculture. Such a shift also stimulates rural economies, supports biodiversity, and offers a more nutritious alternative to rice, with health benefits that translate to broader economic gains. Investing in the cultivation and popularity of native cereals provides a pathway to long-term food security, environmental resilience, and economic sustainability across the continent. Yolélé Chef Pierre Thiam Philip Teverow Diardé Ba Madji Sock Lysiane L. Michel Ghanem REMI HEMERYCK Cobi-Jane Akinrele Abdourahmane Diop Obai Khalifa Nanaissa Sidibe Olivier Buyoya #fonio

Honored for Brooklyn Brewery to be included in the Whole Foods Market Top 10 Food and Beverage Trends in 2025 with our #Fonio Rising Pale Ale in their #Sustainable Sips category. Look out for it in their stores across the U.S. soon!

Innovation can often seem like a pretty exploited turn of phrase in our industry but when the words “world’s first” are involved then it feels like we might be offering some true substance to the meaning. Introducing “Voyage to the West” IPA, our latest “Brewing for Impact” collaboration with Beijing based Jing-A (京A) Brewing Co. and arguably the first time that the West African grain fonio has ever made its way to China (let alone used to make a beer). This is a project that has really embodied the spirit of craft by bringing different cultures and ingredients together to make new flavours. It has also shown that by collaborating with leading local innovators in a culturally relevant way, we are hopefully able to connect with local markets/consumers on a more meaningful level. Very excited to see how this super delicious beer is received in the coming months and if you feel somewhat intrigued to find out more then check out the video below!