Millet, sorghum, fonio, Bambara groundnut, cowpea and other Indigenous African crops are gaining renewed attention as climate change, declining soil health and poor diets increase interest in more diverse food systems. For generations, African farmers, particularly women, have conserved, selected, exchanged and cultivated these crops, often with limited support from research institutions and public policies. The renewed investment in these species raises important questions about who sets research priorities, controls seeds and determines how the benefits are shared.

The article examines these issues through the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS), launched by the United States Department of State with the African Union and FAO. It discusses the initiative’s focus on nutritious, climate-adapted crops and healthy soils, while drawing attention to concerns about farmer participation, corporate influence and intellectual property rights. It also considers the role of research partnerships, including CGIAR, and the involvement of major private-sector companies and philanthropic foundations in shaping agricultural investment.

The central argument is that promoting Indigenous crops alone will not ensure more equitable or resilient food systems. The author calls for African farmer organizations, especially women farmers, to have a meaningful role in research governance and seed policy. Recommendations include supporting farmer-managed seed systems, participatory plant breeding, farmers’ rights and benefit-sharing arrangements. The article also advocates assessing progress through dietary quality, biodiversity, soil health, livelihoods and farmers’ control over seeds, alongside productivity and market growth. It highlights local procurement by schools and hospitals as one way to strengthen demand for nutritious crops and support local economies.