UN wants Ethiopia to get its due for healthy cereal

A deal to market Ethiopia's staple cereal, teff, to health-conscious Westerners may provide a model for ensuring the benefits of biodiversity are shared between local people and firms exploiting natural resources.

Teff, which looks like wheat and has a sour taste, is free of the protein gluten and research shows it can boost the body's vitality and reduce fat production.

Realizing its potential, Dutch entrepreneur Hans Turkensteen set up a company in 2002 to introduce the crop to the West.