"Digitaria exilis" is the oldest native cereal crop in West Africa, first harvested around 5 millennia BC. "Digitaria exilis" is vital for food security in the region. Farmers emphasize the crop's culinary value, its short growth cycle, high productivity and medium size. However, due to a lack of harvesting and processing technology, it is difficult to maintain the crop's genetic diversity or establish large-scale production. With that in mind, it is important to maintain and develop fonio for both producers and consumers. "Digitaria exilis" has many potential future uses in cooking or as technological feedstock so it is necessary to select for good kernel properties to develop it into a new crop for the world.