Moringa: A Tree Giving Life to Rural Communities

MORINGA: SOCIAL IMPACT

One of the many reasons that Moringa is known as "The Miracle Tree" is because of its exceptional social, environmental and economic benefits for rural communities all over the world.

Native to Africa and Asia, Moringa, or Moringa Oleifera to use its scientific name, is one of nature's most powerful plants. Its leaves are exceptionally nutrient-dense, its seeds bear oil and can be used to purify water, it is drought-resistant and it can provide a year-round source of income for the small producers that grow it.

MORINGA: BENEFITS

Planting moringa trees is a simple way to improve the environment, fight malnutrition and eradicate poverty in rural communities.

Thousands of families will benefit from this plantation of "Moringa Trees" once they get access to the basic information the rural area's members will develop skills that will enable them to participate actively and positively in generating income for their societies.

It will enable poor families to support their own nutritional diets at their arms reach and at no cost.

Disadvantaged communities will have a powerful tool to fight and eradicate malnutrition among both their young and adult members.

MORINGA: THE MIRACLE TREE

Moringa trees can grow almost anywhere - they are resistant to drought, deep-rooted and can tolerate a wide variety of soils, enabling them to flourish in even the harshest of conditions. Planting moringa trees in rural areas can reverse deforestation and improve soil fertility.

Moringa is also an extremely fast-growing crop, reaching full maturity in just 9 months. Its leaves can be harvested just 6-8 weeks after planting and immediately regrow so 6-8 weeks later they can be harvested again. Moringa trees are also perennial, so a single plant can be harvested year after year.

This means moringa can provide a year-round source of income for rural communities.

THE WORLD'S MOST NUTRIENT-DENSE FOOD

Another reason Moringa is known as The Miracle Tree is that it is exceptionally nutrient-dense - in fact, it is widely acknowledged to be the most nutritious food on the planet.

Its leaves are a rich source of plant protein and fibre and contain 5 essential vitamins and minerals (calcium, iron, and vitamins A, E & K). Growing moringa, therefore, provides a valuable source of nutrition, helping improve rural communities' food security. It can also be used to feed animals.

Increased demand for food to alleviate hunger and malnutrition has been pertinent over the last few decades among emerging countries across the globe.

For centuries, humans have been dependent on the diversity of plants for food, nutrition, medicine and shelter, as well as for an energy source and for their overall well-being. It is therefore imperative to diversify and improve the production of less studied, locally adapted plant species, like Moringa, that are used in rural communities as food or as a raw material. The leaves and seeds are often eaten raw, cooked or added into food in a powder form for nutritional and medicinal purpose

MORINGA: BRIEF BACKGROUND

Moringa was introduced to rural communities of the Limpopo Province (South Africa) as a cultivated crop in 2006 by the Lammangata moringa project which is based in Tooseng village.

In South Africa, moringa is produced in six of the nine provinces: Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and North West. Among these provinces, it is mainly grown in the Limpopo Province by farmers and at the household level.

Moringa has been included in some diets to combat malnutrition, especially among infants and breastfeeding women in developing countries.1Interest in moringa consumption among South Africans is expected to rise. Farmers in the Limpopo Province use moringa as a nutritional source, an income source and for health purposes.