Ethiopia - African Success Story

Teff is a grain which is gluten-free and rich in protein, fiber and minerals.  Until fairly recently, it was prohibited for export because the crop is so important to Ethiopia nutritionally and also culturally.  (CNN:  Teff, the Ethiopian superfood that used to be banned)

The success story comes because Ethiopia invested in mechanization and better farming techniques which increased yields by forty percent.  Prior to that, the ban was in place to ensure there would be enough Teff to supply the needs of the country.

Hailu Tessema, CEO of Mama Fresh, which exports injera to the US and Scandinavia, said this about the change, "Every year, the demand increases by foreigners from 7-10%.  So that is good for us, we have got the business in our hands; we have a market."

This story emphasizes a favorite theme that Africa would do splendidly with sufficient investment in such resources or techniques to create self-sufficiency without going after 'blood diamonds' or stripping countries of their natural resources.

In looking for more about Ethiopia, the history is unique in the country because they were able to resist the colonial period and maintained their sovereignty throughout.  Ethiopia was also one of the founding members of the United Nations and much of the planet owes them some love because this is the original source of the coffee bean.  (WIKI:  Ethiopia)

Ethiopia has had a special spot in my own heart since I was a kid and Paul ter Avest, my seventh-grade teacher in junior high school, asked who was the emperor of Ethiopia.  He was Haile Selassie and I was the only one who knew that so it impressed my teacher ... but ... not so much my fellow students who usually muttered 'damn freak' in such circumstances.  I heard that in school a lot (larfs).

Inevitably this comes back to the ultra rich and why they are so obsessed with accumulating wealth when they do little with it except to get more.  Capital investment in Ethiopia resulted a major positive change for the country and which will yield multiple benefits indefinitely.  The thing which would make this story perfect is if some ultra richie had supplied the venture capital, as opposed to building a production plant and hiring Ethiopians to work in it, such that Ethiopia could build this solution on their own.

The investment to accomplish the modernization of techniques and equipment in Ethiopia was likely a pittance relative to the fantastic sums spent on military hardware and the increased stability in the country through its ability to support itself serves peace better than weapons ever could.  It seems so egregiously shortsighted to fail to recognize the positive growth which can come through investment of relatively small dollars.

The end result for the ultra richie remains similar in that it generates additional wealth but it also generates a supreme satisfaction on having done a good thing which will last.  We are endlessly mystified as to why this would not a highly attractive thing to anyone with significant wealth.