Wild tree brings hope to subsistence farmers

More and more communities in (agriculturally and/or economically) marginalized areas of the world are finding hope in previously neglected plants that thrive in their regions. The Jatropha curcas and the Aloe Vera plants are recent examples. Here in Kenya, another such plant is gaining in popularity –the Moringa tree. The tree, whose salty leaves have for many years been used by some communities as part of their diet, is fast gaining popularity as a purely commercial crop -its seeds have found a place in the world’s markets as a raw material for cosmetics. Farmers who sold the tree’s leaves for a largely subsistence income are beginning to realize the far more economically beneficial practice of selling its seeds. The seed has high value in the cosmetics raw material markets of the United States, Europe and China among other places and until recently only Ugandan and Tanzanian farmers had caught on to the fact that it had great export value. Now a local oil processing firm, Earth Oil, is working with local farmers to boost the supply of the seed for export. The firm processes about 50 metric tonnes of the seeds, 30% of what it requires, and is looking to local farmers to help make up the deficit.

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