In many African countries, the development of food and livestock sectors is conditioned by a scarcity of water and arable land. Not infrequently, added to this is the use of land for energy crops, making the situation even more critical. Indeed, such problems are interrelated and complex to the point that addressing each one individually does not lead to satisfactory solutions.

In order to meet such articulated requirements Bits of Future includes pilot projects devised to create a complete production cycle that fulfil three functions:

• meet nutritional needs of the local population concerned;
• achieve self-sufficiency in energy and water resources and supply neighbouring communities even with no infrastructures;
• carry out experiments, in collaboration with national and international research centres, on other local plant biomass.

This graph illustrates the virtuous circle triggered by processing cereal straw with Hyst. Straw is the main if not at times the only food available during dry seasons – despite its being unsuitable for the needs of livestock due to its low nutritional value.

It is important to note that the quantity of flour intended for human consumption remains intact because the Hyst machine does not use the grains (the kernels), but only cereal straw.