Original Story Published by: Katherine Walla for Food Tank
The Co-Founder of Yolélé Foods, Philip Teverow believes the tiny African super-grain fonio will improve West Africa’s economy and landscape. Yolélé Food’s budding two pronged effort embraces fonio’s potential by encouraging the grain’s use in American diets and creating a less strenuous supply chain for West African smallholder farmers.
A food industry veteran, Teverow boasts an impressive history of introducing unusual ingredients to the United States and directed Dean & DeLuca, a multinational retailer carrying specialty and unusual gourmet items, during 13 of the multinational retailer’s most formative years. In 2017, Teverow joined forces with renowned chef and Co-Founder Pierre Thiam to release Yolele Foods, introducing fonio to improve the lives of the smallholders growing the grain in West Africa.
Food Tank spoke with Teverow about his inspiration behind Yolélé Foods and his strategy to improve the food supply chain in West Africa.
Food Tank (FT): What is fonio and what kinds of opportunities do you see with it?
Philip Teverow (PT): Fonio is an ancient grain that has been cultivated for over 5,000 years throughout the West African Sahel – the dry band between the Sahara Desert and Africa’s savannas and forests. Fonio in the field looks like grass, and its seeds are not much bigger than regular grass seed.
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