Tef benefits from further research funding

Media releases, information for representatives of the media Media Relations (E) Tef is Ethiopia's most important staple food crop. Because its tall, weak stem makes the plant fall over easily, researchers at the Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) at the University of Bern have bred a variety with shorter, sturdier stalks. After several years of field testing, one improved variety has recently been approved for farm use in Ethiopia. Thanks to this new variety and others in development, small farmers will benefit from better harvests. The Syngenta Foundation has been supporting the Tef Improvement Project since 2006, and will now continue this support with a further 2.75 million Swiss francs. Tef plays a central role in food security in Ethiopia. It is the staple food for approximately half of the country's 100 million people.