U.N. eyes Ethiopian crop for rules on natural riches
May 26th, 2008 | EthioPolitics.com |By Madeline Chambers
BERLIN (Reuters) - A deal to market Ethiopia’s staple cereal, teff, to health-conscious Westerners may provide a model for ensuring the benefits of biodiversity are shared between local people and firms exploiting natural resources.
Teff, which looks like wheat and has a sour taste, is free of the protein gluten and research shows it can boost the body’s vitality and reduce fat production.
Realizing its potential, Dutch entrepreneur Hans Turkensteen set up a company in 2002 to introduce the crop to the West.
But, aware of concern about “biopiracy” under which foreign companies have been accused of plundering foreign plants or animals, he worked out a deal to give some of the profits to Ethiopia, one of the world’s poorest countries.
The case illustrates one of the most difficult issues at a May 19-30 United Nations conference in Bonn where delegates are discussing ways to protect the diversity of life on earth.
Nearly 200 countries are trying to thrash out a framework for a 2010 deal on binding rules on access to genetic resources and the sharing of their benefits.
Developing nations want to reap financial rewards from natural resources which firms in sectors from pharmaceuticals to horticulture and cosmetics are keen to tap.
“We understood teff was not ours and wanted Ethiopians, who have cultivated, conserved and refined it for centuries to benefit from its use elsewhere,” Turkensteen told Reuters.
Health and Performance Food International (HPFI) signed a deal with the Ethiopian government in 2004 allowing the firm to bring the iron- and calcium-rich cereal to the West, to sell and promote it and to help develop teff-based foods.
HPFI gives 5 percent of its net profits to job-creation projects in Ethiopia, which also gets royalties from the profits on teff seed sales and cash for land cultivated by the firm.
Apart from teff, other deals have been made giving companies access to flowers in South Africa or micro-organisms in Kenya.
DAUNTING TASK
“The complexities of the issue are absolutely enormous,” said Rachel Wynberg, co-author of a report on the subject commissioned by the U.N.’s Convention on Biological Diversity.
For example, the pharmaceuticals branch spent about $55 billion on research and development in 2006 but only a small, and unknown, part went on natural products, said Wynberg.
Wynberg says industry should get more closely involved in the U.N. talks on global rules and on compliance mechanisms.
Compounding the problems are ideological differences between firms and governments over “access and benefit sharing”.
“The negotiations are seen as a proxy for addressing huge disparities in income across the world,” Wynberg told Reuters.
Developing countries put a very high value on their genetic resources but often fail to recognize that hefty investment is needed to develop products — and often leads nowhere.
HPFI, which had 2007 turnover of 1 million euros ($1.57 million), has invested 3 million euros and four years of work in researching teff.
It is trying to breed teff seeds outside Africa and is working on gluten-free recipes for bread, cake and beer for consumers allergic to the protein, as well as food for athletes.
All sides agree on the daunting task they face but activists say getting at least a roadmap for the way ahead is crucial.
“We need to send a signal to developing countries to make sure they are respected,” said Greenpeace’s Christoph Then.
20 Responses to “U.N. eyes Ethiopian crop for rules on natural riches”
By Abera on May 27, 2008 | Reply
some of these comments have time and place and sorry to add to your frustration, but your comment was a bit out of topic.
Going back to the article, marketing teff surely sounds like a good idea to the ethiopian farmer and the nation as a whole when seen with the naked eye. However if we are to start exporting teff at large quantity, the price will be so high the majority of Ethiopian will not be able to afford it. ( as we have already started to witness) I am not saying the idea of marketing teff is a bad idea, but we need to consider the consequences as well and its not all as flowery as shown in the article. Afterall do we want our farmers to be producing something they themselves cant afford to eat?
By Sabataa Dubbii on May 28, 2008 | Reply
Teff has always been the food that the well to do could afford specially in the cities. The cost of 100 kilos grams of or 220 pounds of teff is 100 American dollars at this moment. Most of the people in cities did stop buying teff because they could not have enough money to pay for it. An office clerk who earns
80 dollars a month cannot spend more than half of her earnings therefore she has to go for a cheaper crop that may supplement her monthly teff supplies. Now in Addis Ababa people buy bread and Injera and they no more bring in teff home to make their own homemade for themselves and their children.
I think the government and the people of Ethiopia should start to look into solutions for food shortages. One of them is to try to mass produce food such as teff and maize. In a region where I grew up; modern agricultural implementations have been introduced over more than three decades ago and in fact they are saying the region is over abundantly producing wheat and barely for the country. I believe there are several areas in Ethiopia that have the same climatically better conditions and are very suitable to grow wheat, barely and teff. Therefore I strongly suggest that the current or future government of Ethiopia should look into expanding such means of improving productivities in other parts of the country. For example the High Lands of Gonder and Gojam regions could be the best place to start these project. Western provinces such as Wallega and Jimma are ideal place to grow teff. Shawa as a whole is an ideal place to grow wheat and teff.
The only thing that is not working is the financial sectors and banking systems are concentrating in small section of the population; they have to come out of the comforts of the cities and go out and give chances to farmers who want to make differences in the people lives. The Ethiopian farmer does not have capital to buy modem farm implements and the banks should and must go out and market their products to small and large scale farmers so that they could compete with local and international companies. With out enough capital labor does not produce anything; the Ethiopian Banks must provide solutions of financing to the poor farmers who could do marvelous job.
The return is very huge; I had witnessed it. Just give a young Ethiopian country boy/girl two oxen and a piece land and seeds; he/ she will make it 10 fold within short five years.
Our farmers are ready to work and they do want to advance their farms but they do not have capital and support. The bank managers are pounding the sleek bars and hotels every night when did they ever think to market their capital to the farmers that bring in teff injera and poultry to their houses and hotels? Did the Ethiopian banker think of this huge market right at the tip of his finger? They might have but never did enough jobs. The names are there on the buildings but the services went to the cities boys and girls.
Lives in cities are maintained by farmers; we must find means to support them so that they will make sure we get enough cheapr food supplies o our cities and country people.
We mesirably failed for the last half a centrury. Shame on us; we still beg for handouts from the world.
By Shegaw on May 28, 2008 | Reply
There is nothing new about starvartion in ethiopia, starvartion being going on in Ethiopia since the sixteen centure.
By Medeksaa on May 29, 2008 | Reply
Where is the Democracy & Majority rule ? ?
Since the Amara tribalist king (King Menilike) invasion of our oromos land, we oromos still forced to speak Amara neftegnas minority language within our lanad and territories.
“Ethiopias National language should immediatelly be democratized and majoritysized by changing from Amara minority language (Amharic) to Ethiopias Majority (Afaan oromoffiaa).”
By Gambella on May 29, 2008 | Reply
MASS STARVATION AND EDUCATIONAL DISCRIMINATION AS A WEAPON.
The Amara dominated governments of Ethiopia for the last 100+ used strvation and educational discrimination to stay in power.
I.E, The Amara tribalist king (King Haileselassie) used mass starvation to pusnish and kill their political challenger/enemy by denying access to international news agencies and by denying access to international food aid, in the result hundreds of thousands innocent countless Tigryans and Wolloyes died of starvation from 1957–1972. Of course wollo/wolloyes never were the direct target of King haileselassie`s cruel collective politics by mass starvation, rather King Haileselassie`s intention and cruelity was directed aiming at Northern political challenger namely Tigriyan Ethiopians.
The same cruel act mass starvation as weapon was also perpetrated by col. Mengestu Hailemariam to slow-weaken and defeat the insurgency in northern part of Ethiopia, by blocking international food aid and other evil acts.
The Amara tribalist kings (King Menilike and King Haileselassie) also used education discrimination to keep non Amharic speaking Ethiopians uneducated illitrate by denying educational access and educational opportunity to all non amara regions. In the mean time, these amara tribalist kings provoded state of the art educational access and educational opportunity only to their own tribe, in order to creat tribally defined amara aristocratic class by arteficial means of educational discrimination.
By Sabataa Dubbii on May 29, 2008 | Reply
We cannot claim bad climatical conditions and seasonal weather conditions as the reasons for production of poor harvests. Ethiopia or Oromia and other regions of the Empire are blessed with great water resources. Great African rivers such as Blue Nile, Baro, Dhedhesa, Awash and Takeze run pass thorough very long distances of geographical regions. The rivers start from the high lands and go through the low lands. They cover so huge areas as these water passes to reach the seas and oceans.
What I sometimes think is that the government of Ethiopian did not have priorities as its duties to his subjects and did not do any important works to improve the food shortages for a very long time. I feel the new elite and the educated generations must think in terms of improving our infrastructures to let the poor people have good access to constant water resources without waiting for the rainy seasons.
I could give you a very good example of the Awash river that comes from the Shawan Highlands and passes through the lash and beautiful farmlands of Oromia and goes pass the lowlands and empties itself without being efficiently used into the Red Sea through a sandstone holes in Afar region.
The only good staff that came out of it is the Koka Hydroelectric power that was built by Italians in the early forties. Then the Dutch companies used part of the area to develop sugar factories and it has been working very well. My point is if it is possible to grow sugar cane harvest to make sugar ever 18 months continuously without any failure why not we go and produce Teff or Maize every three months to feed our people. The land that has been used by Wonji Sugar factories is more than 6000 hectors and they have been doing very well. I am talking about a tip of an ice berg. The rift valley lakes have never been touched to produce great food products at all. The climate and soil is very ideal. The water is right there and it comes by itself. What is wrong with our engineers and agriculturists? Do not they see the potential of these areas.?
I could give you scores of places if you want me but it must be well researched and organized. The Wabbi Shabelle Valley alone will feed if properly developed millions of people. The underground waters every where in our country is untouched. Men and ladies I say to you we have not done enough to take the advantages of our fertile lands and we are still playing victims of nature. Stop kidding yourself; if man is able to land himself on moon; the implication is that he can do anything if he put his head and resources to solve any problem. By the way they have landed their gadgets on Mars last week. There is a moral issue to this news; we do not need to build rockets but our scientist and engineers could figure it easily how to take advantages of our fertile lands to produce enough food for our people by using modern means of science and technology. We do not need to beg international banks for capitals we could start it small and mobilize
our citizens.
This news about Teff itself tells us a lot how we people in that empire are so doomed and someone is coming with science and technology and take advantages of our resources. We let them exploit us. Distastefully disgusting !
sabattaa Dubbii.
By Gashaw on May 29, 2008 | Reply
Question to Mr.Gembela,
Are you suggesting that amaras were not qualified for the title they holding,because their were handed by biast means of tribalistic discrimanatory policies ? ?
Could it that be why we have more Amara doctors,amara professors, and more amara professional more than other non amara Ethiopians (Oromos,tigryans,gambelas,sidamas,wourages,Afar) ? ? ? ? ?
By Sabataa Dubbii on May 30, 2008 | Reply
Begashaw, the point is not how long the starvation persisted in the past centuries, the important thing is to be able to eradicate poverty and hunger.
If you remember in 1974, when people of Wallo were hit by draughts and hunger and they started leaving their villages in mass and came to Addis Ababa, they were all over the cities and in fact they were not given any shelters. Then the students of Addis Ababa University rallied for them and we let our breakfasts go and let them get the money or some of the money was sent to Wallo. We were very idealistic; we thought we could stop the problem with mere $60,000 Ethiopians dollars but it was huge and impossible.
The government of Haile Sellassie knew about it for a very long time as you have said it. But they have never done anything about it. Hundreds and thousands of people passed away without getting any help.
Then Jonathan Dembliby of BBC broke the news to the world and it was shocking news to humanity and the image of the country went down with it and we had never recovered from it since then. Nor we were able to overcome our food shortages. But the most prominent minister in the County Ato Legesse Bazu of Ministery of Interior said exactly what you have written about the existence of starvation and hunger in the country.
In fact when he was asked to give further explanations why people of Wallo left their villages in mass he said” For Walloyes leaving their homes to beg around the country is common, and it has nothing new to it.”
Unfortunately he paid the price for his statements; he was sent to shooting squads by Mengistu’s government in September the same year after mere three months. Not only that most of the cabinet were murdered; I figured out the people of the country and military government got mad at them for their ineffectiveness in taking care of the starving people.
In short Bagashaw, you are mistaken about your statements and it seems to me you are saying so what? Should not we solve century long problems of starvation? There is population explosions in Ethiopia; if we cannot prepare before hand there might come a time in the future where the country will be in hugely uncontrolled problems of food shortages. Why do not you read about Egypt where they could not feed their citizens even though they were trying to solve the problem since General Nasir came to power half a century ago.
Did you know that the population of Ethiopia shot up to 80 millions from 25 millions within three decades. We better prepare for this problems to come otherwise we end up like Egypt with not bread in the cities such as Cairo for a common man. It would be better to prepare now than asking the national army to run bakeries to supplement bread shortages in Addis Ababa like they had done it in Cairo last month.
Sabataa Dubbii
By BH on May 30, 2008 | Reply
Jesus,
Could you all drop all this ethinic hatred crap and suggest solutions. Most of the countries that embrace their differences and used technologies had sprung up in the last 30-50 years. In stead of playing the victim game, please concentrate on ideals that could make us competetive in the international market. Please drop the petty inter-ethinic competition and blame game. Just stop it, it is stupid, premitive, and most of all destructive.
By Olbamo on May 30, 2008 | Reply
Talking about the ethnic issues wasn’t the article which we were supposed to comment. Let’s leave that for another time.
We all grew up eating teff, so it concerns us all. I like the idea of teff getting the recognition in the food world. As to me and people I know around knew the health benefit of Teff. What worries me about the outcome of this study is that Teff will be availabe at low price for the westernerns (rich) and we ethiopian we not afford to buy it. Which in retrospect will eat the gluten that the westernerns consume right now and take the health burden that they are suffering from. As we can’t pay for our health we will suffer more. I am not suggesting to quit this formiddable research, but we should think about the consequences very seriously. It requires a political willingness to get it done; like land-ownership policy. It should change so that private owners should produce more, than depending on the government to handle some loans for the farmers, which is happening now and failed to change the farmers life (if you listen to the farmers not the government media). Don’t forget that the price of teff right now is already taking toll on the consummers. And on the other hand for those in big cities where eating gluten packed western food white bread is seen as a civilisation, look around how many people are cought by the western maladies like diabetes. Watch what you are routing for.
By Ababeya on Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
CANCELLING AMHARIC LANGUGE IS VITAL AND A GREAT STEP TOWARD MAJORITY DEFINABLE FORM OF DEMOCRACY.
Ethiopias National language should be democratized and majoritisized, by changing it from Amara minority language (AMHARIC)to ethiopias majority (AFAAN OROMOFFIAA).
By Sidamo on Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
It is shame, that these narrow minided Amara kings were masterminding such ugly policy of educational discrimination aginst their fellow Oromo brothers,Tigrian brthers,Sidamo,Gambella brothers,Afar brothers,wourage brothers.
No wonder why Ethiopia is in these is mess of politics and economic chaos and poverity.
By ObserVer on Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
Ababeya,
What do you think of the Amara dominated party (Kinjit`s) position on this language subject, Do you think the amaras will obey to democracy and ethio majority (Oromos) and allow amharic language to be scrapped off and voided, and in the mean time that Oromigna language to be crowned as Ethiopias official language ? ? ?
By Alebachew on Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
Just like shameful Amhara king (King menilike)sold half of Tigrye region/Eritrea to Italians to consolidate and weaken Tigrian reprsentation in Ethiopia and power from ethiopia. The other Amhara king (King Haileselassie) and Mengestu Hailemariam also used the draught and starvation as political tool to punish and eradicate the Tigrian Ethiopians and in order to weaken woyane`s influence on the people of Tigrye, and in the meantime systematically mass genocide Tigrian Ethiopians through mass starvation.
In 1973, The Amhara king Haileselase did it by denying to international community that there is no starvation in Ethiopia and by refusing to accept food aid, while millions of wollo Childrens and Tigrian childrens dieing of preventable mass starvation.
Mengestu Hailemariam also did it 1984, by blocking food aid from arriving in Tigrye region, in result millions of tigrian childrens were vanished in starvation.
By Amare Bekele on Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
Question to Mr. Ababya and Mr. Observer,
You guys seem to refelect the plato Greek era form of Democracy which is “majority absolutism”, and in the meantime you seem to missing and misunderstanding THE MODERN VERSION OF DEMOCRACY, WHICH IS NOT REFELECTED IMPLIED AND APPLIED IN ABSOLUTE TERM.
By Ababa on Jun 5, 2008 | Reply
Sabataa Dubbii!
The problems and the solutions you have outlined are sound. The current government and its regional counterparts are all singing the song of war on poverty and by implication war on starvation. They also sing the song of developments.
My observation is this: The current development is primarily focused on agriculturally based industries and a few manifacturing industries.
The policy makers never take into account the environmental impact of any industries that are allowed to operate. Take for example, the flower plantations…it is clear that these establishments do contaminate ground water and rivers, they use high level of pesticides and fertilizers. An other example is the leather factories that are set up in addis and aroud its environs. They healy pollute the rivers and spill into the rivers countless harmful germs and this same water is used downstream by the very farmers who produce our foods and their cattles drink this same water. Now you can imagine the impact of this on the health of the cattles and the farmers. There aleady signs of great harm in some of the areas as a result of this pollutions. The polluters do not seem to have any responsibilties for the harm they do on the environment and the health of the farmers.
Unless a comprehensive approach is taken to so called development, in which environmental, health and social safe guards are built in, the long term effects are worse than the current gains.
By Kill_terrorist on Jun 5, 2008 | Reply
What a bunch of idiots are posting about Amhara? The subject is teff. What the hell is wrong with gambella and some alikes ? Common sense.
By Sabataa Dubbii on Jun 5, 2008 | Reply
Ababa what you have said is close to my heart. Your keen and important observation is very paramount to our survival as a nation and people. It goes down to family and personal level. I wish our people and current and future leaders do see what you had noticed about problems that come tailing the modern developments and population explosions.
I grew up in country side and I am very much close to nature as I used to be a Shepard of my small herds of cattle and goats around the beautiful village surrounded by rivers and rivulets and mountains and gorges. I used to watch live what the National Geographic sometimes presents in its cable channels.
When I went back to my village after so many years my place has been changed so much. Then the mountains and the valley were teaming with beautiful wild animals. I rode to my village on a horse back for hours and I could not see a single hare or fox on our way to my home.
I was devastated and worried since then about our environment. A single and small village could depict very well what types of environmental changes had been taking place within a very short time in Oromia. Our pastures used to be wide and open today there is not enough fields to tend animals such as cows, goats and sheep. Those places are covered or turned into domiciles for humans and animals are left within short distances of their homes. There is a huge shortage of grazing land and people in the countryside are keeping their animals most of the time around their homes like they do it in towns. That shows how population increased with a very short time. We must be able to notice that immediately. Resources are running out and shortages are knocking at every bodies door be it in towns or in country villages.
We used to pick logs from our back yards for fire when I was a child; today my relatives have to keep their eyes on oak trees next to our home as their source of fuel, the whole forest had gone long time and the beautiful animals disappeared. I wondered helplessly around the rivers and valleys to find myself overwhelmed by the extent of destruction to my village environment. Unless all Africans and Ethiopians and my Oromo people team up to stop such a devastating environmental changes we may disappear with the forest and the animals soon.
I am very glad there are some people like you who care about our people and our beautiful land. There is hope one day we will be abele to reverse all those calamities together. Keep hope alive. Yes when there is a plan for manufacturing and agro industries and very expanded studies must go with each and particular plan. To mention to you I read some papers written by some authorities of High Way and Electric Power Authorities in Ethiopia, they seem to do fine but the government of Ethiopia seems not to focus much about environment destruction at all. Especially the military goes around and set fire on National Parks without any reasons just being afraid of the OLF being in those forests. Ugly and ignorant decisions by uneducated and backward leaders. It is not fair to set fair on someone’s village while planting trees and preventing environmental destructions in Tigray.
By Sabataa Dubbii on Jun 6, 2008 | Reply
I have not got any problem of understanding and acknowledging the intelligence and cleverness of all Ethiopians. The issue about democratic educational systems is mind boggling whether its historical background or current situations in the country. We Oromos are not worried about how many PhDs are there from the northern parts of the country. Any family on earth or in the Empire has the right to educate and lead its off springs to any level of academic achievements. If they have means they could do it at any time. What we have been saying is that majority of our people were denied accesses to modern education deliberately by the old system. We paid the means of the survival and the building of the empire in kinds. But when it comes to services including education we were barred from getting it. When? How? Why? By Who? I let the historians deal with it. But we the Oromo people and other nations and nationalities carry disturbing and vivid scars of the old systems. It is gruesome and disappointing , therefore the new generation must address it immediately.
Let me tell you, in 1972 there were only two students or more who were admitted to Addis Ababa University from some. Most probably that would had been couple of years after the establishment of a high school in that regions. The first high school in the country opened may be around 1909. My own high school
might have come to existence after the Second World War about 1950. I think the Italians built the buildings and then they started junior high and gradually it became a high school. I have not got good
facts but the arrival of French Missionaries in Harar area gave some chances for people in the area to go to
school. If you read the biography of Haile Sellassie, he did have a doctor named Martin and Abaa Matias who was an Ethiopian convert to Catholicism gave him good education at his own father’s home. I could figure out that the invaded Oromo children education was not the concern of Ras Mekonnen. I like to give great credit to Haile Sellassie himself who tried to educated Muslim children but they refused to send their kids to school, he was devastated by the idea of the people refusing to educating their kids. But within the short distant and after the efforts of Haile Sellassie before Italian war, officials in Jijiga did not care much about running schools for Somali people in the area. It was Garmame Nuwayi who tried to build as many schools as possible when he was the governor of Jijiga. He did the same thing in Sidamo.
Let me share with you a story that really took place in the office of the Prime Minister of Aklilu Habte. General Tadesse Biru the head of Military police in the government visited the minister and he was told openly that the massive Oromo people should not be educated pass elementary level education. When the general heard this statement from the Prime Minister he went furious and from that day on he became a dedicated Oromo nationalist to get his citizens empowered he revolted against the government and called a ground shaking meeting of all Oromos in the empire and they resolved to get rid of the government of Haile Selassie and replace it with all inclusive democratic government for all, but unfortunately he got caught and sent to jail for seven years. The Prime Minister mistook Tadese for a none Oromo servant official. His mission never stopped and we are continuing his resolves to make sure that we are not seen
As second class citizens while we are shedding our blood to the existence of that empire. It is our rights to
Demand equity in education. Educating citizens are great assets and it is wonderful to individuals and communities and the nations. What is good for Tigrayans must be equally distributed to other nations and nationalities without any discriminatory policies. It is very true that the empowered and the ruling class families and relatives had great opportunities to excel and advance their education to terminal levels.
The Italians were not allowing the Erirean to get advanced education they just left them to learn enough to enable them to communicate to their Italian lords and masters. That was what exactly the elite of the country from the ruling class were talking and conspiring against Oromos. The impact of denial of education to the masses goes all the way to the future of any nation. That was what had taken place in Ethiopia. We all have to denounce that and come up with candid solutions so that every body is equally treated in any sectors of services that are meant to be given to an individual as his rights of being a citizen of a country.
There were injustices in all sectors of our society and the new generation must address them bravely and courageously. We must overcome the denial and come to find out a common grounds for the future.
By the way I really hate what the TPLF have been doing interns of giving chances to get advanced education when it comes to scholarships. If you have time please see around and find out for yourself. What goes around comes around. Educational impartialities are open and clear. Just read about the great institute that was built by TPLF in Mekele by taking and dismantling libraries from other parts of the Empire. You know the books that were in Gonder Public College were moved to Mekele to enrich the MIT.
That is very gross to me. Sad but it is a fact. What about the grants and all goodies that come from other parts of the world as educational aids. There are many colleges in the country as MIT but the recently inaugurated universities do not even have enough chairs and desks for the in coming students at the beginning of this year. I hope Melese and his cohorts will treat all universities and high schools and elementary schools all over the country equally without any form of discriminatory acts.
By Medeksaa on Jun 8, 2008 | Reply
Sabatta,
The steak is too high to ignore the language issue.
I agree with you, but things were getting better in educational concern in oromo region compare what we oromos went through for the last 100 years of Amara dominated governments, but there is more work to be done even in that concern. Now the most important thing to do to help democratize Ethiopia is to majoritysize and democratize Ethiopias national language from Amara minority language (Amharic)to Ethiopias majority (Afaan oromoffiaa). cancelling and voiding amharic language from every corner of oromo regions is vital move to preserve oromos history,culture and oromos language.
Beside, why should we oromos speak amaras minority language (Amharic) within our own territory ? ?