How Enset Could Unlock Youth Entrepreneurship and Resilient Food Systems in East Africa.
In the search for solutions to Africa’s food security challenges, attention often turns to new technologies or imported crops. But sometimes the answers are already there, rooted in local knowledge and traditions. One such example is enset (Ensete ventricosum), a crop that has supported communities in Ethiopia for centuries.
Often called the "tree against hunger," enset is now attracting renewed attention from researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs. Increasingly, it is also gaining interest from young innovators looking to build the food systems of the future.
This growing interest is also reflected in the work of Muluken Ekule, whose research explores the role of enset in sustainable food systems. His engagement with the crop deepened during his PhD on climate-resilient farming systems in Ethiopia and his participation in the 2025 Food Systems Innovation Challenge at Wageningen University & Research, where he was part of the Mushroom Organic, Mysteries and Golden Food team.
"For me, it was a unique opportunity to explore the entrepreneurial potential hidden within enset, and to combine indigenous knowledge with new business perspectives," he explains. "That’s how a traditional safety net can evolve from local use to wider impact."
A Crop That Sustains Millions
For more than 20 million people in Ethiopia, enset is a staple food and an important safety net during times of scarcity. Unlike many crops, enset is remarkably resilient. It tolerates drought, can remain in the ground for years, and can be harvested whenever food is needed, providing farmers with a flexible and reliable source of food.
"Enset has long been viewed as a local subsistence crop rather than a global agricultural resource. It remains an orphan crop that the world is only just beginning to understand"
In fact, as few as fifteen plants can feed a person for an entire year, making it one of the most productive crops per unit of land. Because of this resilience, researchers increasingly see enset as a climate-adapted crop with huge potential beyond Ethiopia.
Wild relatives of the plant grow across East and Southern Africa, and studies suggest that the crop could potentially be cultivated across a much wider region, possibly feeding over 100 million people in a warming world.
From Traditional Staple to Innovation Opportunity
Despite its importance, enset has historically been treated mainly as a subsistence crop. Processing the plant into edible products such as kocho involves a long fermentation process that can take up to three months. This slow and labour-intensive method has limited its commercial potential and made large-scale production difficult.
However, recent innovations are beginning to change this picture. New community-based processing machines and improved storage techniques can reduce processing time from 90 days to about one week, opening the door to new food products and business models.
For young entrepreneurs, this shift could transform enset from a traditional staple into a modern value chain with diverse economic opportunities.
Enset is far more versatile than most people realise. Nearly every part of the plant can be used, creating opportunities across multiple sectors.
Food and nutrition
Enset can be processed into gluten-free flour, baked goods, and fortified foods. Startups are already experimenting with commercial products, demonstrating that traditional crops can compete in modern food markets while contributing to more diverse and nutritious diets.
Sustainable materials
The plant also produces strong fibres with high cellulose content, making them suitable for textiles, biodegradable composites, and paper products. These materials open the door to bio-based industries and circular economies built around agricultural by-products.
Enset fiber collection center, a by-product of food processing now emerging as a raw material for construction, carpets, and biodegradable products. Photo: Muluken Zeleke.
Health and traditional medicine
In Ethiopian traditional medicine, different enset varieties are used to treat conditions such as bone fractures and back pain. Scientific studies have begun to explore the plant’s antioxidant and antibacterial properties, suggesting potential applications in health and wellness products.
Circular agriculture
Even the parts that are not eaten can be used. Leaves and stems can become animal feed, helping farmers create integrated farming systems that reduce waste while improving livestock productivity.
Unlocking the full potential of enset will require more than scientific research. It will also require entrepreneurship, new ideas, and local leadership.
Young innovators can play a key role in developing new food products, improving processing technologies, building local value chains, and creating sustainable businesses around indigenous crops.
"The next generation of agripreneurs does not need to look far for opportunity. Enset already offers a complete ecosystem of food, fibre, feed, and medicine. We just need to make better use of it"
However, the challenges are real. Farmers still face threats such as Enset Bacterial Wilt, market volatility, and limited access to investment or processing infrastructure. Addressing these challenges will require collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and local communities.
Enset shows that the future of food systems does not always depend on entirely new discoveries. Sometimes it means rediscovering crops that communities have relied on for generations and finding new ways to scale their potential.
For young agripreneurs in East Africa, enset could become far more than a traditional crop. With the right support and innovation, it could form the foundation for resilient food systems, sustainable industries, and new economic opportunities.
This article is based on research conducted by Muluken Ekule as part of his PhD at Wageningen University & Research, in collaboration with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Global Research on Worldwide Challenges (GROW), and the Food Systems Innovation Challenge.
This PhD programme is co-funded by the European Union through the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions COFUND programme.
Supervisors and collaborators: Katrien Descheemaeker, Aart van der Linden, Barbara Rischkowsky, Jane Wamatu, Mirjam Troost.
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