ESG
If we listen carefully , nature often has a way of answering our climate questions . Take , for example , the question : “ How can we brew sustainable beer ?”
It turns out that nature has had the answer up its green sleeves for centuries – a West African grain called fonio .
The miracle grain explained Fonio is something of a miracle , growing without the need for fertilisers , irrigation , pesticides , fungicides or weed killers .
Not a single chemical is required and it grows to maturity in seven to nine weeks , even if it rains only a few times annually , in the Sahel at the edge of the desert .
It is effectively a zero-input grain , which enables lower impact on the environment while supporting thousands of small-hold farmers in West Africa . Crucially , according to Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver , “ the beers taste wonderful ”.
Fonio is in the millet family . There are two types – white fonio and black fonio .
Garrett explains : “ It ’ s been cultivated in central West Africa for 5,000 years but was largely ripped out by colonial powers . Fonio grows well in poor soils , it restores the land and it traditionally has provided food security for the people of the region .”
He adds : “ Fonio is also delicious at the dinner table , and I ’ m really happy to see influential grocery chains such as Whole Foods Markets carrying fonio on grocery shelves .
“ It cooks up in five minutes and it ’ s like an even more flavorful version of couscous or quinoa .”
sustainabilitymag . com 101