Aonyx Foods

Rapid population growth, climate change, intensive monoculture farming, and resource depletion are among the challenges that threaten our increasingly vulnerable agri-food system. Reliance on a few major crops is also linked to an unvaried diet and micronutrient deficiencies. Diversification of both agricultural production systems and diet is a practical and sustainable approach to address these challenges and to improve food and nutritional security.

The Bambara groundnut is an African food crop, which is not only a rich source of nutrition, but also ideal for preventing chronic illnesses. The Bambara groundnut is well suited to cultivation in South Africa and is extremely resilient to drought and climate change.

Once planted, Bambara nut takes about five to six months to mature. Despite its importance in food security and potential for income generation for small scale farmers, it remains a neglected and underutilised crop.

Consequently, Aonyx Foods manufactures the Bambara Groundnut as a raw material that can be used to create several value-added products.

Bambara groundnut product range potential includes several gluten-, lactose- and cholesterol-free value-added products. These include dairy substitutes, baked goods, meat substitutes and beverages. These products have the potential to be rapidly scaled up to provide niche and alternative products that are nutritious and marketable.

There is a growing consciousness and demand towards healthier diets. Furthermore, the cases of lactose intolerance are growing. This has created an opportunity that we believe the Bambara Groundnut can fulfil.

The advantages of this range are that it