Ethiopia's "False Banana" Plant May Be The Answer To World Hunger
Language
Reading Level
Listen to Article
Extreme weather caused by global warming is expected to increasingly challenge the yields of conventional crops like corn, wheat, and soy. Small-scale farmers — who lack the resources to adapt to climate change — will be particularly hard hit. Scientists believe that the only way to combat this is by introducing new, hardier crops to what they're currently growing. That's where Ethiopia's enset, or "false banana," plant comes in.
The massive plants, which can reach heights of up to 12 feet, are related to and closely resemble the banana plant. However, their short, thick fruits are filled with seeds and inedible. The food in an enset plant comes from its roots and stems, which can be pulped and used to make a calorie-dense bread or porridge.
Ensets have many unique attributes that make them ideal for reducing global food insecurity. The rapid-growing plants can be propagated from cuttings and harvested during any season. They are highly resistant to diseases and can survive without water for up to seven years. And just 15 ensets can feed a person for an entire year!
Domesticated enset has been feeding about 15 million people in southwestern Ethiopia for many years. However, the amazing plant is largely unknown outside of the country. But if Dr. Wendawek Abebe of Ethiopia's Hawassa University and Dr. James Borrell of London's Royal Botanic Gardens have their way, enset may soon become a household staple in many parts of Africa.
The researchers conducted an extensive study and determined that enset distribution could be increased twentyfold and expanded to other African countries vulnerable to food shortages. They estimate that the "tree against hunger" has the potential to feed an additional 87.2 to 111.5 million people across the continent.
Since convincing locals to replace existing staple crops with enset plants would be difficult, the researchers propose they be grown alongside them and used during emergencies. “We’re rather thinking about enset having a role as an emergency, famine food,” Borrell explains. “In some regions, farmers have half a dozen enset, and they are available in a crisis. This approach could be much more accessible.”
Resources: natureworldnews.com, atlasobsura.com, BBC.com,Treehugger.com
Get the Workbook for this article!
Workbook contains: Article, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking Questions, Vocabulary in Context (+ answers), Multiple Choice Quiz (+ answers), Parts of Speech Quiz (+ answers), Vocabulary Game (+ answers)Cite Article
Learn Keywords in this Article
58 Comments
- pikaknowsover 2 yearsOne world wide problem solved, infinite more to go!
- zarkinpantsover 2 yearsWow!
- adroit_avimimusover 2 yearsVery inspirational! They 'false banana' does kinda look like a banana!
- solyanaover 2 yearsI knew Ethiopia could change the world and I was right
- sussybaka1about 2 yearsim sure you did
- clairespc123over 2 yearsAnd also people are on the streets with no clothes and so my friend and I are doing a project to knit clothes and things for kids you might want to think about how sad and hopeless they are
- clairespc123over 2 yearsYeah I agree
- viccycardover 2 yearsIt does not look tasty at all ! But if there is a famine I guess it would be alright. But I think I would still like bananas more.
- sis_cloover 2 yearsso amazing
- willorbillover 2 yearsWow. I thought these were inedible
- mya_cover 2 yearsThats really cool! Maybe someday it could solve world hunger.