Ensete ventricosum: A Multipurpose Crop against Hunger in Ethiopia

Ensete ventricosum is a traditional multipurpose crop mainly used as a staple/co-staple food for over 20 million people in Ethiopia. Despite this, scientific information about the crop is scarce. This review paper highlights that enset shows high genetic diversity within a population which in turn renders resilience and food security against the ever-changing environmental factors and land use dynamics. Moreover, enset starch is found to have higher or comparable quality to potato and maize starch. Therefore, more research attention and funding should be given to magnify and make wider use of the crop.