This text demonstrates the importance of fonio (Digitaria spp.), a small-grained cereal known as acha and iburu in West Africa, in the global conversation on food security, sustainability and biodiversity. Fonio has been cultivated for millennia in the Sahel and savanna regions, where its resilience to challenging growing conditions has made it a staple crop for many communities. Despite its significant cultural and historical value, fonio remains largely underutilized and underrepresented in international agricultural and nutritional discourse.

Fonio Cereal Grains: The climate-resilient grains for sustainable food security spotlights fonio as a globally relevant crop with the potential to address pressing challenges such as climate resilience, malnutrition, and food sovereignty, while also providing practical guidance on its cultivation, processing, and use. By compiling scientific research, indigenous knowledge and practical strategies, the book aims to serve as a vital resource for agricultural scientists, development practitioners, policymakers, food industry innovators and global consumers interested in sustainable food systems. By documenting traditional knowledge alongside modern research and applications, the book celebrates fonio as both a heritage grain and a forward-looking solution to global challenges such as malnutrition, desertification and food insecurity. It also highlights the socio-economic opportunities that fonio offers, especially with increasing climate stress.

Afam I. O. Jideani. Professor Jideani holds a PhD in Food Science from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. He did postdoctoral research on cereal grain starches at Kagoshima University of Agriculture, Japan. He was the Director of Research and Development at the National Food Technology Research Centre, Kanye, Botswana (2006), and the Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Venda (UNIVEN), South Africa (2009). He pioneered the doctoral degree programme in Agriculture (food science and technology) at UNIVEN. He is now an adjunct professor of Food Science and Technology at UNIVEN. He has 217 publications in scientific journals, books, book chapters and proceedings. He co-authored the book Bambara groundnut: Utilisation and future prospects, published by Springer. He is in the Top 2% Cited Scientist list published by Stanford University.  He is a fellow in three professional food associations, namely: International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST), ISEKI Food Association (IFA) Academy member, and Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST).

Afam Israel Obiefuna Jideani

ijideani@gmail.com; Afam.Jideani@univen.ac.za 

Dr Victoria Adaora Jideani is an internationally recognized Professor of Food Science and Technology and an NRF C2-rated established researcher with a distinguished four-decade career across the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Botswana, and South Africa. A global authority on the valorization of underutilized climate-smart crops, including Bambara groundnut, pearl millet, and acha. She bridges high-level scholarly inquiry with commercial food product innovation. Her research in food biopolymers, rheology, and emulsion science has yielded multiple international patents, including a U.S. patent for starch-soluble dietary fibre nanocomposites, as well as patented plant-based probiotic beverages and functional fibres. Holding a PhD in Food Microbiology, an M.Sc. in Food Science, a BSc in Food Science and Technology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Distinction, Dr Jideani has authored over 100 scientific publications and books while mentoring 20 Master’s and 7 Doctoral graduates. An Adjunct Professor at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa and an independent contractor for Mercor Intelligence, USA. Her recent work combines data science, Python programming, and agentic AI with certified food safety management (PCQI and HACCP) to automate regulatory compliance and technical workflows for food enterprises.

Victoria Jideani, PhD, PCQI, MIFT, FNIFT, Pr. Sci. Nat.

vjideani@gmail.com; jideaniv@cput.ac.za