Hello Clean Air Pioneers! I have been following a certain trend in my last few blogs, each getting closer to the topic of this very monumental blog. May I introduce: The Moringa Tree!
…Wow, it’s a tree, and a tree with a strange name at that. Why should we care about it? FOOD SECURITY IS WHY. The Moringa tree is short of being magic, because of its nutritional values to humans. For instance, a 100 gram portion of fresh Moringa leaves has 7 times more Vitamin C then the same amount of an orange! Here are some other examples of the nutritional value of the Moringa tree:
– 4 times more vitamin A than 100 grams of Carrots;
– 2 times more proteins and 4 times more calcium than 100 grams of cow milk;
– 3 times more iron than 100 grams of Spinach;
– 3 times more potassium than 100 grams of Bananas.
It is crazy, isn’t it! Some farmers fry the leaves and add them to traditional dishes for their taste. Think about this too: If you harvest the leaves (which have the most nutrients), then the tree will still be alive to create more leaves and more nutrients! The leaves can be consumed fresh, cooked, or dried. Moringa leaves retain their nutrition when dried, so you can make powder and use it to add nutrients to anything.
The Moringaceae flowering plant family has 13 species in its family. The most widely known species Moringa Oleifera (Drumstick Tree) originates from the foothills of the Himalayas in India. The other species come from around the world, from such places as Kenya, Africa, and Madagascar.
The Moringa Tree also can make animal fodder for farmers, so you can have natural animal feed. Also, the seeds of the Moringa can be used as a natural water filter! It will clarify water, but not all bacteria. So if there is a stream that has dirt and grime in it, the seeds will clean it out and make clear water. That is why in various countries without the means to use U.V. filters or other technologies, some of the locals use Moringa to help manage their water source. Since the Moringa is also drought resistant, it will survive in more climates and benefit more people.
The Moringa tree does all this, and it provides extra food security in the areas where it is planted! The tree is the most nutrient rich species in the world! So why isn’t the public using Moringa Trees? Tell me why, because I can’t figure it out! There is someone I know that is using Moringa trees: ForestNation! Our tree planting projects in Haiti and Tanzania are using Moringa trees (as well as other species) in their fields of Clean Air producers, and are taking one more step in making our planet greener, safer, and cleaner!
Got Clean Air?
