AFP, Debre Zeyt :
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 practised 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.
“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 metres 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, fertilisers 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.
Regardless, productivity has climbed to bridge the supply gap, with the introduction of 19 new teff varieties and improved farming techniques.
