Teff, a cultural  mainstay in Ethiopia, is poised to become the next quinoa – a grain superfood  suitable for gluten-free eaters. It is currently banned for export from Ethiopia  over concerns the nation’s citizens would be unable to afford the staple if  prices were to soar.

AFP RELAXNEWS

AFP Photo/Solan Gemechu

A farmer winnows a dried teff crop to separate seeds from stalks at Ada  village in Bishoftu town, Oromia region of Ethiopia.

Under a searing midday sun, a herd of cattle circles atop a pile of golden  teff, thrashing the wheat-like grain, a method that has been practiced by  Ethiopian farmers for centuries.

The crop, mostly grown in the Horn of Africa, is a key part of the country’s  heritage and a crucial food staple, but is also gaining increased interest  abroad among health afficionados seeking a nutritious, gluten-free alternative  to wheat.

“Ethiopians are proud of the crop because it is almost our identity,” said  Solomon Chanyalew, director of the Debre Zeyt Agricultural Research Centre, a  teff research hub.

“But these days, teff is getting global attention,” he said.

Relatively unknown outside of Ethiopia – for now – the cereal is predicted  to replace quinoa as the latest global “super-food.”

But a ban on exports to control price hikes at home has left farmers tied to  local consumers, limiting their contribution to growing markets abroad.

The poppy-seed sized grain is renowned for its nutritional qualities.  Mineral-rich and high in protein, teff is also a slow-releasing food, ideal for  diabetics, and sought after by people with a gluten intolerance or Celiac  disease.

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“Teff is not only gluten-free, which is an increasingly important aspect of  foods that is being sought out, but it’s also incredibly nutritious. Many people  consider teff to be a super-food,” said Khalid Bomba, CEO of Ethiopia’s  Agricultural Transformation Agency.

In Ethiopia, teff is used to make injera, a spongy fermented pancake topped  with meat or vegetable stew and consumed with an almost religious devotion,  often three times a day.

In the West however, where it is touted by celebrity chefs and  health-conscious Hollywood stars, the grain is most commonly ground into flour  and used to make biscuits, breads, pastas and even teff juice.

It is also a resilient crop; it can grow between sea level and 3,000 meters  and is both drought- and flood-resistant, ideal for Ethiopia’s dry  highlands.

But despite its versatility, Ethiopia’s 6.5 million teff farmers struggle to  meet local demand – let alone growing demand from abroad – with limited access  to seed varieties, fertilizers and modern machinery that would allow for higher  yields.

Teff also suffers from a lack of research since it is considered an “orphan  crop,” unlike global crops like rice, wheat, and maize, which are widely studied  and well-funded.

“People don’t want to work on teff, basically, it’s not paying,” said  Kebebew Assefa, one of only two full-time teff researchers in Ethiopia.

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Regardless, productivity has climbed to bridge the supply gap, with the  introduction of 19 new teff varieties and improved farming techniques.

In the last four years, yields have increased from 1.2 to 1.5 million tons  per hectare, which Khalid said bodes well.

“The production increases are what gives us the confidence that Ethiopia  will be able to compete at a global level when it comes to tapping into the  increasing demand from consumers in Europe, in London, or New York or Brisbane,”  he said.

An estimated two million tons per hectare is required to reach export  potential.

For now, the ban on exports remains in place to avoid the pitfalls of quinoa  in Bolivia, where most people could not afford the staple crop after the surge  in global popularity.

The price of teff – $72 per quintal – is already too expensive for the  majority of Ethiopians who earn less than two dollars per day.

But farmers are eager to export their teff, well aware of the higher prices  they can fetch.

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“I want to sell it abroad because it’s going to have a good market and I  will earn good money and it will bring good motivation for my work,” said  Tirunesh Merete, 60, who has been growing teff for nearly four decades.

Neighbouring farmer Amha Abraham said he is keen to make more money, but  recognizes that local markets need to be fed first.

“If we export teff to other countries then we can get a lot of money, but we  must provide first for our country’s consumption,” he said, standing near a  giant pile of golden teff stalks, used for roofing and as cattle feed.

Until the export ban is lifted, Ethiopian farmers remain excluded from a  growing international industry, with teff products appearing on shelves in  health food stores across North America and Europe.

“Everybody has started talking about gluten-free,” said Rob Roffel, CEO of  the Dutch company Consenza, which produces gluten-free foods from teff grown in  the Netherlands.

“The demand for gluten-free foods mainly was for Celiacs… but what we see  now more and more is other target groups interested in teff flour,” he said,  adding that his business has grown 30 percent annually since 2006.

In the meantime, Khalid said he has high hopes for teff.

“If you look at what’s happened with quinoa, it’s a $150 million market in  five years and teff is actually much more nutritious and much more resilient  than quinoa,” he said.

“So we think there’s a much bigger market opportunity for teff.”