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Africa is the second largest continent on the planet, and is also the second most populous, coming in second behind Asia. However, it's also the least developed and the least invaded by mega-corporations. There are still many African tribes that live the same way their ancestors did for thousands of years before, including the way they brew their beer. That might be changing if big beer has anything to say about it though.
Increasingly, big breweries are turning their eyes to Africa for quite a few different reasons. Those include cheaper brewing ingredients, access to markets that aren't glutted with other options, cheap labor and even for humanitarian reasons. What's happening in the industry?
Alternative Ingredients
The cost of barley and wheat has skyrocketed around the world, spurred on by things like the Canadian wheat failure and increasing demand from small brewers. In an effort to save some money, big brewers like SABMiller and Heineken are eyeing alternative ingredients for their brew - locally sourced ingredients grown and used in Africa are much more affordable than buying up global barley or wheat supplies. What ingredients are they looking at?
Sorghum: Sorghum is a grass, much like wheat or barley. However, it's far more frequently used in making fodder for animals than in anything else Westerners are familiar with. It is used in many foods and particularly manufactured for those with gluten sensitivity. Outside of the US and Europe, it is a heavily used food crop and most certainly plays an important role in Africa.