Sorghum is the world’s fifth most important cereal crop in the world. It is a staple food for more than half a billion people in the world, 60 percent of whom are in Africa.  Sorghum is believed to have its origins in Africa in the Ethiopian Highlands and South Sudan.
It is highly tolerant to high temperatures, and is arguably one of the most drought-tolerant crops under modern day cultivation. It thrives in arid and semi-arid conditions, naturally growing up to six feet high but has been bred to be shorter for ease of managing the crop and harvesting. The plant also produces substances that put off birds and insects thereby protecting the seed.
It is a highly versatile crop with many uses including human food and animal feed, for brewing and bio-fuels. About 55 percent of the world’s sorghum grain is used as food, usually consumed as porridge and breads. The stalks and leaves provide dry season grazing for livestock especially in Asia, while the Americas use the grain as animal feed.
Africa is the largest producer of sorghum in the world with an annual production of about 22 million tons, according to 2006 data. Africa’s leading sorghum producers are Nigeria and Sudan. Other producers are Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique Niger, Somalia and Tanzania. In Burkina Faso, sorghum is the most productive crop accounting for 40-45 percent of the annual cereal production. Sorghum has a high yield potential. The highest recorded yield for the crop in the world is about 20 tons per hectare.
But Africa’s sorghum output is still very low compared to other regions. In the Central and Western parts of Africa, sorghum productivity increased 54 percent between the early 1970s and 2006, according to the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).  In the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, sorghum yield increases were comparatively modest at 15 percent.
The grain is usually red or yellow and is eaten with the hull, where most of the nutrients reside. It is a nutritious food high in fiber, iron (more than 70 ppm), zinc (more than 50 ppm), and with fairly high protein levels. Some types of sorghum are also rich in antioxidants. Sorghum is gluten-free therefore a good alternative for people allergic to wheat.
However, sorghum’s nutrients are altered in different ways depending on how it is processed. For example, regular cooking diminishes the availability of sorghum’s protein such that the human body cannot digest and absorb it. In contrast, malting and fermenting make sorghum protein easier to digest.
In view of the importance of sorghum for the food and nutritional security of 300 million people across Africa, Africa Harvest is undertaking two sorghum projects in line with its mission to fight malnutrition and poverty.

1. The Africa Bio-fortified Sorghum project
2. Commercialization of Sorghum in Kenya