By Bisola Adeyemo
A new study revealed that enset plant or false banana in Ethiopia could be a new superfood and a lifesaver in the face of climate change.
The study which was conducted by researcher Dr. James Borrell, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said planting enset as a buffer crop for lean times could help boost food security, with the potential to feed more than 100 million people in a warming world.
The plant is almost unknown outside of Ethiopia, where it is used to make porridge and bread.
Research suggests the crop can be grown over a much larger range in Africa, BBC reports.
Enset or “false banana” is a close relative of the banana, but is consumed only in one part of Ethiopia.
“This is a crop that can play a really important role in addressing food security and sustainable development,” said Dr Wendawek Abebe of Hawassa University in Awasa, Ethiopia.
Enset or “false banana” is a close relative of the banana but is consumed only in one part of Ethiopia.
The banana-like fruit of the plant is inedible, but the starchy stems and roots can be fermented and used to make porridge and bread.
“The plant got some unusual traits that make it unique as a crop,” he said. “You plant it at any time, you harvest it at any time and it’s perennial. That’s why they call it the tree against hunger.”
But the effect of climate change is predicted to seriously affect yields and distribution of staple food crops across Africa and beyond.
There is growing interest in seeking new plants to feed the world, given our reliance on a few staple crops. Nearly half of all the calories we eat come from three species – rice, wheat and maize.
“We need to diversify the plants we use globally as a species because all our eggs are in a very small basket at the moment,” said Dr Borrell.