I am not generally a fan of new crops. My experience is that they seldom live up to their advocates' claims, but I am prepared to make an exception for the Moringa tree. Widely planted throughout East Africa over the last 10 years, it was hailed as the "Miracle tree" and, while it hasn't quite lived up to expectations, it retains a great deal of potential.Native to Asia, Moringa Oleifera has a huge variety of uses. Its nutritious leaves can be used either for human or animal consumption. I can attest from personal experience that its seed pods, whose long slender appearance has led to the tree being called the Drumstick Tree, taste delicious when immature. The tree is drought-resistant. It can be coppiced annually for firewood and to stimulate new growth. And its seeds produce a high value clear, odourless and stable oil now in demand in the cosmetics industry. Here's proof:
The Body Shop recently introduced a Moringa line of products, using Moringa oil supplied by one of AAC's investee businesses, Earthoil. Located in Athi River, close to Nairobi, Earthoil produces a range of seed oils for export. Its Moringa seed is sourced from growers in Western Uganda, and cold pressed for export. At last, therefore, planters of the "Miracle tree" are reaping some financial reward: I hope that Moringa's other manifold benefits will be realised in time.
In my opinion, it has a great deal more potential than that other so-called wonder crop, Jatropha curcas. Quite apart from anything else, at least it's not toxic.
1 comment:
Perhaps the Moringa tree will be the next garden fashion accessory in the UK.
Chris just phoned me - and he needs you to contact Roly as soon as possible because he was expecting to meet Roly and Roly has disappeared off the radar.
Nadege and Nathalie would be very interested in buying Roly's flat in Farnham so can you alert him to this. It would be a shame if he flogged it to someone else.
PS We haven't seen any of those naughty questa questas.
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