ETHIOPIA NEEDS TO IMPROVE OF ITS 'GOLDEN CROP' TEFF!

Teff, an ancient grain from Ethiopia and Eritrea, has been growing in popularity across the world in recent years. Huge demand meant prices skyrocketed and the Ethiopian government eventually slapped a ban on exports which it kept in place for six years. The aim was to enable Ethiopians, who rely on it as a staple crop, to be able to afford it again.

Teff is in demand because it has various health benefits and unique nutritional contents. It’s high in fibre and rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, protein, and amino acids. But what’s really contributed to its enormous popularity, particularly in Europe and the US, is that it’s gluten free. This means that it appeals to athletes, diabetics, coeliacs and others who seek a gluten-free diet. 

Consumers are willing to pay premiums for gluten-free food such as teff. And various teff-based products are now also being developed to capture this premium market.

Currently, Ethiopia produces over 90% of the world’s teff. But because of its growing popularity, teff production has attracted other countries including; Australia, China, India, South Africa, and the US. 

As explained in my recent review article, Ethiopia has some major shortcomings when it comes to teff production. The system currently relies on inefficient traditional farming practices, faces harvest losses and there aren’t enough financial incentives for farmers to modernise the system. 

Teff is one of Ethiopia’s most important crops providing food and livelihoods to many people. The grains are a daily food staple for about 50 million people – about 60% of the country’s total population.

To meet local demand and keep competitive, as new countries start growing the crop, Ethiopia must introduce improved teff varieties and the government must support policies that open up the industry to encourage technical improvement around it.

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