In the 1980s, famine-relief food sent to Ethiopia may have carried parthenium seeds; the invasive weed now cuts forage by up to 90% in some areas

Ethiopia’s top invasive weed is believed to have arrived in famine food aid. It cuts forage by up to 90% in some areas, but the donor country is unnamed. Famine relief is meant to save lives, but a shipment can carry a lot more than just food. According to the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, a weed is believed to have entered Ethiopia by accident through food aid shipments. The plant is spreading rapidly, causing a drop of up to 90% in forage production in some areas.In some places, parthenium can cut grazing forage by up to 90%, according to the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute. (Pexel)Help that arrived in a moment of crisisIn the 1980s, Ethiopia relied on foreign aid, with the United States being one of the contributing nations. The scale of the effort is apparent in a 1987 paper from the U.S. Agency for International Development that sits in the State Department’s historical record. Dated October 30, 1987, it says the Ethiopian government and the United Nations estimated that approximately five million people would require emergency assistance in 1988. That relief would involve some 950,000 metric tons of imported food.The paper also detailed what the U.S. had approved so far. That was 115,000 metric tons of emergency food, valued at $37 million, including transport, storage, and handling costs. The distribution was to be handled by four American private voluntary organizations. It never mentions parthenium. Still, it gives us an idea of how much food was coming into the country at that time.Deep DiveIn some places, parthenium can cut grazing forage by up to 90%, according to the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute. (Wikimedia Commons)A weed that may have hitched a rideSo where does parthenium come in? The Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute says the weed, known scientifically as Parthenium hysterophorus, is believed to have been introduced accidentally in food aid shipments. The institute does not identify the country that sent the food and does not give a year. Weeds are not mentioned in the 1987 paper. Thus, neither source proves that U.S. food aid introduced parthenium to Ethiopia in the 1980s.What we can say is fairly simple. In the late 1980s, large amounts of relief food were moving into Ethiopia, and a government institute believes food aid is how this weed got here. That's a good place to start a story, but it is still a belief and not an established fact.What it does to grazing landThe institute describes parthenium as foremost among Ethiopia’s invasive plants. However, it also lists mesquite, water hyacinth, and Lantana camara as causing major problems. It states that parthenium is spreading rapidly and causing a fall in forage production by up to 90% in some places. Forage refers to the plant material eaten by livestock. This is a worst-case figure for some areas, not an average across the country.The institute also points out that the effect of the weed on natural habitats has not been assessed. However, it clearly poses a major threat to rangelands, open lands used for grazing. Some of the other invaders on its list came in other ways. Mesquite was deliberately introduced as an agroforestry species in the Awash River Basin, and Lantana was primarily deliberately introduced as an ornamental shrub. Among the invaders described, parthenium is the one that, as far as the institute believes, arrived by accident.Why this story still mattersEvery day the world moves food, plants and goods across borders, and tiny seeds can hitch a ride unnoticed. That doesn’t mean the sending of aid was a mistake. The 1987 paper says people were starving and the U.S. quickly acted to help. It does, however, suggest that checking what comes with supplies and spotting new plants early are some habits worth having.The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. The team covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports, business, entertainment and stories that are trending across the country. Our coverage includes the White House, Congress, US elections, immigration and visa updates, H-1B, green cards, Social Security, education, jobs, layoffs, the economy, technology and major policy changes. We also closely follow stories that matter to Indian and South Asian communities in the US. The desk covers major US sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, along with player news, injuries, schedules, results and major events. Entertainment coverage includes Hollywood, celebrities, television, streaming, music and pop culture. 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