Chef and entrepreneur Pierre Thiam joins Grow Everything to explain how fonio, a resilient ancient grain from West Africa, can become a platform for biodiversity, regenerative agriculture, food security, and farmer prosperity. Pierre traces his journey from studying physics and chemistry to discovering the kitchen as a larger system connecting culture, health, ecology, and economics. He shares why fonio is nutritionally dense, gluten free, drought resistant, fast cooking, and versatile, as well as how Yolélé is building aggregation centers and modern processing infrastructure while keeping cultivation knowledge and ownership with smallholder farming communities. The conversation explores how biotechnology can complement biodiversity, why flavor must lead climate friendly food adoption, how underutilized crops can create clean label ingredients and new commercial markets, and why food can serve as a powerful tool for diplomacy and cultural understanding. For founders, scientists, investors, and builders in the bioeconomy, Pierre offers a human centered model of innovation that begins with nature, respects generational knowledge, and uses technology to unlock solutions that have been in front of us all along.
Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and speak with the leaders and innovators using biology to change the world. Biology is the world’s oldest technology, and it can be engineered. So, what are we growing?
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Chapters:
- (00:00:00) Why flavor must lead sustainable food adoption
- (00:07:00) Artificial intelligence for science and protein design
- (00:14:00) Pierre Thiam connects cooking, chemistry, culture, and diplomacy
- (00:21:00) What fonio tastes like and why chefs love its versatility
- (00:28:00) Scaling fonio through farmer centered supply chains and global markets
- (00:35:00) Human centered design for West African farming communities
- (00:42:00) Delicious first: the strategy behind climate friendly food adoption
- (00:49:00) Biodiversity, forgotten crops, and the future of food security
- (00:56:00) How biotechnology and local knowledge can work together
- (01:02:00) Building healthier diets and stronger farming communities
Links and Resources:
Topics Covered:
Fonio, West African cuisine, sustainable food systems, regenerative agriculture, food biodiversity, underutilized crops, food diplomacy, Bambara groundnuts, climate-resilient crops, Yolélé
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Music by: Nihilore
Production by: Amplafy Media
