Four years later, the European Patent Office granted a patent to his company Health and Performance Food International (HPFI). Dr Bula Wayessa, who is an expert in indigenous crops, believes the Dutch teff patent stripped millions of Ethiopian farmers of their rights. Since leaving his homeland in 2009 to study overseas, Dr Wayessa has returned several times to conduct research. “Teff injera is a major common identity marker across more than 80 ethnic groups living in the country,” he said. Both Dr Lyons and Dr Wayessa said that teff is now expensive for poorer urban people thanks to global demand.

Source: Ethiopian News May 08, 2019 21:33 UTC