A Lowly Legume Moves Into the Spotlight

Once overlooked, the Bambara groundnut, a nutritious and climate-resilient legume from West Africa, is finally getting the attention it deserves—from agricultural and food scientists alike.

This indigenous subsistence crop, cultivated for at least 200 years in Africa’s semi-arid regions, is valued for many reasons. Nutritionally, Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) is high in protein (15%–25% dry weight basis) and provides more iron and zinc (critically important nutrients in regions prone to malnutrition) than chickpeas. Agriculturally, it grows well in marginal soils, tolerates heat and drought, and naturally fertilizes the soil through nitrogen fixation, which supports its intercropping with corn, sorghum, and millet.

However, significant challenges have constrained the wider adoption of Bambara groundnut, leading to its designation as an underutilized crop: low yields compared to legumes such as soybeans and cowpeas, susceptibility to certain fungal diseases, slow breeding progress due to the plant’s self-pollinating nature coupled with a lack of research investment, and limited availability of improved seed varieties for farmers. It is also notoriously difficult to mill and has a long cooking time.

Recognizing the opportunity, several groups are working to address these problems. Seattle-based nonprofit Grow Further has awarded a grant to develop improved varieties within three years, with breeding now underway at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Savanna Agricultural Research Institute in Ghana. Agronomists there have identified 38 Bambara groundnut varieties with traits sought by farmers, based on a farmer survey.

Through an InnoFoodAfrica project, funded by the European Union’s (EU) Horizon 2020 program, researchers at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, have produced a good agricultural practices training manual and videos for farmers. Under another InnoFoodAfrica project, researchers found they could reduce the cook time of Bambara groundnut from three hours to just 25 minutes with microwave and infrared cooking.

Meanwhile, the food company WhatIF Foods has been making strides in R&D and value chain development to support the export of its Bambara groundnut products. Headquartered in Singapore, with manufacturing in Malaysia and Australia and an office in Los Angeles, the company has patented a process for Bambara groundnut milk and developed an air-fried noodle made with Bambara groundnut flour. WhatIF Foods currently imports to the United States and, with the recent EU approval of Bambara groundnut, will also sell its products in Europe.

On the supply side, the company is providing seed to about 3,000 farmers for better quality control over the raw material. The ongoing relationship with Bambara groundnut farmers, primarily women, provides reliable income that is improving their standard of living and their children’s access to education by helping to cover school fees.

While the crop is primarily grown in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Cameroon, some Southeast Asian countries—such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand—have also begun cultivation. Researchers in Malaysia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom have collaborated to further explore its potential, publishing a review article that highlights new product opportunities for Bambara groundnut, such as bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, crackers, cookies, extruded snacks, pastries, yogurt, starch, and protein isolate (Tan et al. 2020).

In West and Central Africa, where nearly one-third of the population is unable to consistently access sufficient food (a historic high) (UN 2025), greater availability of Bambara groundnut—as both a nutritious food and income-generating opportunity for farmers—will provide much-needed relief.ft