ARGAN(ARGANIA SPINOSA) · ARGAN(ARGANIA SPINOSA) La gestion et le développement de l’arganier au Maroc L’arganier est une essence spécifiquement marocaine, à affinités tropicales,

P R O D U C T S A N D M A R K E T S

NON-WOOD NEWS No. 18 January 2009

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AMARANTHUS

The many uses of Amaranthus spp.

High in protein and calcium, Amaranthus isused as a food crop by the Aztec Indians ofMexico, as a spinach substitute in Australiaand as a vegetable in China. The seeds canbe boiled into a hot cereal. The young shootsmake a very tasty pot herb or in salads.Other uses include the ash of the wholeplant used as snuff, sometimes alone andsometimes with tobacco (in Swaziland). Ared dye made from the plant – whose namecomes from the Greek “amarantos”, whichmeans “unfading”, a reference to thepersisting colour of certain amaranthflowers – is used to colour food andmedicine. A green and yellow dye can bemade from the whole plant.

Found in abundance across parts of theAmericas, Africa, the Pacific Islands andAsia, Amaranthus spp. has anti-inflammatory, astringent, blood purifying,laxative and diuretic qualities. Amaranthusis also known to improve digestion andpromote appetite. However, it is mostfamous as a herb that stops bleeding.(Source: D.B. Leonard. 2008. Special report:Amaranth)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

David Bruce Leonard, Medicine at your Feet,

7921 Sterling Creek Road, Jacksonville,

Oregon 97530-8930, United States of America.

E-mail: [email protected];

www.medicineatyourfeet.com/ or

www.davidbruceleonard.com

ARGAN (ARGANIA SPINOSA)

La gestion et le développement de

l’arganier au Maroc

L’arganier est une essence spécifiquementmarocaine, à affinités tropicales, uniqueespèce dans son genre. L’arganier secontente d’une tranche pluviométrique quipeut baisser jusqu’à 120 mm par an, etsupporte des températures élevées pouvantatteindre 50 °C. L’isotherme 3°8 limite sonextension en altitude. Cette espèce couvreactuellement plus de 700.000 ha etreprésente environ 17 pour cent de lasuperficie forestière nationale. L’espace àarganier s’étale essentiellement sur leterritoire des provinces d’Essaouira.

L’arganeraie constitue un véritable pôled’attraction, la population de la région estpassée de près d’un million d’habitants en1960 à plus de 2,5 millions d’habitants en2004 dont 55 pour cent en milieu rural, soitun taux d’accroissement de 2,2 pour cent.L’initiation de vastes programmes derégénération de l’arganier pourrait être unimportant moyen de stabilisation de lapopulation et de lutte contre l’exode rural.

L’importance de l’arganier aux niveauxnational et internationalL’arganier constitue la troisième ressourceforestière marocaine, après l’alfa et le chênevert, sensiblement à égalité avec le thuya.L’arganier est, en effet «un arbre à multi-usages», chaque partie ou produit de l’arbreest utilisable et représente une source derevenus et de nourriture. Cet arbre a despropriétés écologiques et physiologiques; ilest très rustique et résistant à l’aridité, maisil est également doté d’une grandevariabilité génétique telle qu’il estpratiquement le seul adapté aux régionsarides et semi-arides où il pousse. Dans ceszones, l’arganier est pratiquementirremplaçable dans la conservation des solset des pâturages et pour la lutte contrel’érosion et la désertification. L’arganier joueun important rôle dans la fertilisation dessols et fournit l’essentiel de l’agricultured’exportation marocaine dans sa zone.

En quelques années, on a assisté à unemutation complète de la filière production-commercialisation de l’huile d’argan. Ceproduit traditionnel, naguère peu connu endehors du Maroc, est aujourd’hui reconnuen Amérique du Nord, en Europe et jusqu’auJapon où il et considéré comme une huile deluxe. Alors que cette huile ne faisait paspartie de la nomenclature des douanes (nimarocaines ni étrangères) n’étant pas

répertoriée au Codex alimentarius, il existeaujourd’hui une norme marocaine sur l’huiled’argan et ce produit a fait l’objet en 2002d’une note de l’Agence française de sécuritésanitaire des aliments (AFSSA) validant sonutilisation comme huile alimentaire. Destravaux sont en cours au Maroc pour mettreen place un label de qualité de typeAppellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC).

La production de l’huile et de ses dérivésL’huile extraite de l’amande (fruit del’arganier) est non seulement comestible etd’un goût agréable, mais elle possède despropriétés diététiques très intéressantesétant constituée à 80 pour cent d’acides grasinsaturés (dont une bonne proportiond’acide linoléique).

Ces qualités diététiques en font une huiletrès recherchée, vendue nettement pluschère que l’huile d’olive, en raisonnotamment de sa rareté et des nombreusesheures de travail nécessaires à saproduction. En effet, celle-ci estentièrement manuelle depuis le concassagedes fruits, le grillage et le broyage desamandes, jusqu’au malaxage de la pâtepour en extraire l’huile.

La production fruitière (noix d’argan)varie en fonction de l’âge et de la densité (20à 100 kg par arbre) avec une moyenne de 40kg/arbre/an.

Sur la base de la densité moyenne despeuplements d’arganier, qui est de l’ordrede 50 arbres par hectare et du rendementen huile d’argan (3 litres pour 100 kg de noixsèches), la production potentielle estestimée à 32 000 tonnes d’huile d’argan paran. (Source: La gestion participative et ledéveloppement des produits forestiers nonligneux comme moyen de réduction de lapauvreté féminine en zones rurales: cas duMaghreb et du Sahel par Mme Hawa War,Volontaire, FAO, Le Caire.)


Pape Djiby Koné, Forestier principal, Bureau

régional de la FAO pour le Proche-Orient,

El Eslah El Zerai Street, 11 Dokki, B.P.2223,

Le Caire, Egypte. Courriel: [email protected];

Site web: www.fao.org/forestry/

webview/media?mediaId=13331&langId=1

L’arganier et l’olivier au cœur du Sahara

La wilaya de Tindouf, en Algérie, a connu, aucours des quatre dernières années, laconcrétisation de plusieurs projets inscritsau titre de la politique nationale forestièrequi vise le développement des zonessahariennes a indiqué à l’Aide publique au

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Amaranthus spp.



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développement (APS) le Conservateur desforêts de cette collectivité locale. Des projetsde développement, programmés pourl’année 2008 ou à brève échéance,permettront d’améliorer le couvert végétalet le patrimoine sylvicole, et de développerles zones pastorales qui ont subi un lourdpréjudice en raison de la sécheresse.

Parmi les projets à concrétiser,l’extension de la ceinture verte de la wilayade Tindouf qui s’étend sur une superficie de30 ha, dont 20 ha plantés d’oliviers et 10autres de variétés d’arbres sylvicoles àl’image de l’arganier (Argania spinosa). Ceprojet, qui vise à augmenter la superficie dela ceinture verte de 20 ha, vise également àdévelopper les capacités de production de lapépinière sylvicole de l’oued Djezz, qui avaitproduit, au cours de l’exercice 2007-2008,près de 400 000 plants. Les résultatsencourageants réalisés dans la culture del’arganier, à titre expérimental, ont pousséles services concernés à envisager lapoursuite d’expériences de mise en terre deplants de cette variété d’arbre dans la régionde l’oued El-Ma.

L’arganier est en effet un arbre qui résisteaux rudes conditions climatiques et à lasécheresse. Si la culture de ce dernier s’avèrepossible, toute la région en tirera le plus grosbénéfice surtout lorsque l’on sait que c’est del’arganier qu’est extraite l’huile d’argan,produit qui fait fureur aujourd’hui sur lesmarchés européen et américain. Tous lesproduits cosmétiques sont faits à base d’huiled’argan. Notre voisin de l’ouest, le Maroc, enest parmi les plus grands producteurs dans lemonde. L’huile d’argan est utilisée depuis dessiècles par les femmes berbères du sud duMaroc tant pour la cuisine que pour lesproduits de beauté. (Source: Le Maghreb,Alger, 11 Septembre 2008.)

BAMBOO

Bamboo is the latest natural material to be

used in ecofriendly building

A London architect has completed a bambootownhouse in the middle of an urban area inAsia that is being hailed as an innovation interms of sustainable house building in theregion.

Bamboo reduces the need for airconditioning as it allows the property to beventilated naturally while remaining secureand private. Company ROEWU’s architecturebelieves designs like this could help reducethe cost of air conditioning in parts of theworld where bamboo is the main source ofenergy consumption.

The house in Yi-Lan, Taiwan Province ofChina, built as a holiday home, was achallenge as the site is narrow with blankparty walls on both sides. By introducingseveral double- and triple-height void spaces,the whole house is naturally ventilateddespite the fact that the sides are enclosed.

The bamboo screen wrapped around thehouse shields the house’s occupants fromthe view of passers-by on the street, whileallowing sunlight and air to filter into thebuilding through the bamboo poles.

The interior is intended to be like anorganic forest. Sunlight and air filter inthrough the bamboo poles, changing thecharacter and use of the space over thecourse of the day and the different seasons.

ROEWU describes its bamboo screenconcept as “a radical updating of theconventional Taiwanese window screen”. Theapproach also provides a new use for highlysustainable, fast-growing, locally sourcedbamboo, which has fallen out of use in localconstruction. (Source: Property Wire [UnitedKingdom], 1 August 2008.)

Building on bamboo

The decline in timber availability and theemergence of new technologies have spurredinterest in bamboo and coir-basedcomposites as wood substitutes for thebuilding industry, particularly as demandswells in Asia and the Pacific. Bamboo-basedpanels and boards are hard, durable and maysuccessfully substitute hard wood products.

In a paper presented at the India seminaron the National Building Code of India, Mr M.R. Anil Kumar, Managing Director, KeralaState Bamboo Corporation, said that bamboois quickly transforming its image from a“poor man’s tree” to a high-technologyindustrial raw material. Bamboo, now aglobally recognized substitute for wood, can

be processed into products that successfullycompete with conventional wood products inprice and performance. Engineered bamboomay even replace wood, steel and concrete inmany uses.

Now a demonstrated and commercializedtechnology, bamboo-based ply is competitivein pricing. Removal of bottlenecks on thesupply side should create further downwardpressure on prices. There has also been ademand for commercialization of bamboo asan enterprise at the farmer level.

Bamboo should be promoted on theindustrial scene through appropriate tie-uparrangements with bamboo-basedindustries such as paper, handicrafts andthe new emerging areas of ecofriendlyproducts such as housing tiles, flooring andbamboo shoots. (Source: Business Line[India], 13 July 2008.)

Bamboo fibres fortify plant-based car

materials

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation hasdeveloped resin composite materials thatare reinforced by bamboo fibres and can beused in car interiors.

This is the first time that bamboo fibreshave been used in this way. MitsubishiMotors aims to reduce CO2 emissions byusing the plant-based materials. It hasbeen considering mass-producing thematerials and “intends to reduce the costto a level 1.5 times higher than existingmaterials”, according to the company.

The material is intended for use as doortrim base material, seatback board andceiling board. (Source: Tech-On English[Japan], 1 December 2008.)

Bamboo laptopto debut

Asustek Computer plans to debut a nature-friendly laptop PC with a casing made ofbamboo on Saturday at Taiwan Province ofChina’s IT Month exhibition. The laptop,first announced last year, is part ofAsustek’s efforts to use renewablematerials in products.

The company will launch the bamboolaptops in the United States of America andEurope at a later date, but has not decidedexactly when, an Asustek representativesaid. (Source: PC World [United States ofAmerica], 26 November 2008.)

Bamboo can play a major role in saving

the globe

Chennai. “Everybody is talking about theproblem of global warming, but I have asolution for it,” says N. Barathi and

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displays a bamboo sapling wrapped like abouquet. “Bamboo acts as a carbon sink: itabsorbs excess CO2 in the air with three tofour times more efficiency than any othertree, which means the more bamboos weplant, the more CO2 is absorbed and thuswe can stop contributing to globalwarming.”

According to Mr Barathi, an agriculturalscientist, bamboo can effectively cleanwater pollution from septic tanks andfactory effluents as it has a natural affinityfor nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals.

Barathi has developed a variety ofbamboo called “beema bamboo”, which issterile, therefore does not produce seedsand can live up to 200 years, provided itgets regular water, sunlight and nutrientsfrom the soil. Planting this in gardens willbenefit generations to come, he says.

He has even calculated that Chennaineeds around 13 million bamboo plants tobecome carbon neutral, i.e. to absorb theexcess CO2 in the air generated by the city’spopulation. (Source: The Hindu [India], 4August 2008.)

BAOBAB

New exotic fruit to hit United Kingdom

shops

An unusual fruit from a native African tree,the baobab, is to be available in the UnitedKingdom after it has been approved by theEuropean Union (EU). The fruit, containedin a hard nut, has six times more vitamin Cthan oranges and twice as much calcium asmilk. Africans have eaten the fruit forthousands of years, but Europeans willconsume its pulp as an ingredient insmoothies and cereal bars. Since 1997,foods not commonly consumed in the EUhave had to be formally approved beforegoing on sale.

The baobab tree grows throughoutcertain parts of Africa and has manydifferent uses. The leaves can be eaten asrelish and the fruit dissolved in milk or

water and used as a drink. The seeds alsoyield an edible oil and can be eaten raw orroasted. The fruit, bark and leaves of thetree are used to treat medical problems,including fevers and kidney disease.

However, EU customers will not be ableto try out the many traditional uses of thetree and its fruit, which is 15–20 cm long.The fruit will be removed from its nut andthe pulp, which is white, powdery and has acheese-like texture, will be used as aningredient in products such as cereal bars.

The non-profit trade association that hasbeen lobbying for EU approval, PhytoTradeAfrica, hopes the demand for the fruit willmean employment for millions of Africanpeople.

Gus Le Breton, the association’s chiefexecutive, said: “The EU decision is a crucialstep to developing the global market whichcould be worth up to £500 m a year. Dozensof companies have shown interest in baobabsince we submitted the application and manyhave already conducted initial research. Nowthat approval has been given, they canprogress to full-scale product development.”

The baobab tree can live for hundreds ofyears. Its trunk can grow up to 15 m incircumference and reach a height of 30 m.Some baobab trees, which are 80 percentwater, are hollow and have been used asbars in shops and even prisons. (Source:BBC News, 15 July 2008.)

BEE PRODUCTS

Honey hunting

Honey hunting in AsiaIn Asia, large volumes of honey are stillobtained by plundering wild colonies ofhoneybees. This is because some of theAsian honeybee species exist only in thewild, and cannot be kept inside hives madeby humans. Honey hunting of Apislaboriosa, a honeybee species that nests athigh altitudes, is practised in the HinduKush Himalaya region. Honey hunting ofApis dorsata is practised throughout itsdistribution range, from Pakistan in thewest to the Philippines in the east. Honeyhunting of cavity-nesting A. cerana, A.koschevnikovii, A. nuluensis and A.nigrocincta, and the “little” honeybeespecies A. florea and A. andreniformis ispractised wherever the bees occur.

The large Asian honeybee species, A.laboriosa and A. dorsata often nest high oncliffs or in high trees. However, the combsare very large and yields of honey are

worthwhile. Honey hunting is therefore adangerous, although worthwhile, activity inmany regions of Asia. Local customs andtraditions have become associated withhoney hunting, and have been studied byanthropologists and social scientists: thismeans that traditional honey hunting andcultural associations have been welldocumented in some areas. Indeed, inNepal and Malaysia, tourism based onviewing traditional honey hunting has nowtaken off.

% THE AFRICAN HONEY GUIDE

Honey guides are African woodlandbirds belonging to the genus Indicator.They are remarkable for apparentlyleading honey hunters (as well as honeybadgers and other bee predators)towards bee nests. There are severaldifferent species of honey guide, themost common being the greater honeyguide Indicator indicator, and the lesserhoney guide Indicator minor.

Honey hunters whistle to locate thehoney guides. The birds then chattercontinuously and flutter conspicuously,gradually leading the honey hunterstowards the vicinity of a bees’ nest,when they become quiet. When thehoney hunters plunder the nest, thehoney guides are rewarded withfeeding from the bees’ nest: brood,pollen and honey. Another unusualfeature of these birds is their apparentability to digest beeswax.

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Honey hunting outside AsiaHoney hunting of indigenous Apis melliferacolonies is commonly practised in Africa,and of feral A. mellifera colonies in Centraland South America, wherever colonies areabundant – most often in forested areas.(Source: Bees and their role in forestlivelihoods, FAO Non-Wood Forest Productsseries 19 [in press].)

Prevention and treatment of MRSA with

manuka honey

If gone untreated, methicillin-resistantstaphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a mutatedform of bacteria that has developed aresistance to antibiotics, can be fatal. Amidmuch hysteria, scientists are beginning torecognize that a particular type of honeyknown as manuka is actually effectiveagainst this notoriously resilient superbug.Researchers have determined that MRSAcannot survive in the healing environmentcreated by manuka honey. MRSA is abacterium that divides into two similar cellsevery half hour. Studies have shown thatmanuka honey interferes with the cell cycleof MRSA by affecting the separation of newcells, so that those unable to completedivision become disabled.

All types of honey contain hydrogenperoxide, a known antiseptic anddisinfectant. Yet an additional antibacterialcomponent in manuka honey, known asUMF, is unaffected by enzymes that dilutethe effectiveness of regular honey. UMFremains active when used as a wounddressing and diffuses more deeply into skintissues.

In addition to its unparalleledantibacterial properties, manuka honey isalso considered to be antimicrobial and,therefore, capable of treating both bacterialand fungal infections. Manuka honey alsohas anti-inflammatory properties, whichreduce pain in damaged tissue.

Manuka honey is made by bees from thenectar of the flower of the manuka bush,which is indigenous to New Zealand.Manuka honey-based MRSA treatments arebecoming available to hospitals andindividuals worldwide as word of itseffectiveness becomes mainstreamed. Withreports of manuka honey acting as a naturalcure for MRSA, antibiotics will certainly beused less, especially since MRSA drugsusually prove to be useless. (Sources: PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung) [Austria], 30June and 5 September 2008.)

Distinctive flavours inhabit honey

Tupelo, lavender, sourwood, linden tree,sage, buckwheat, eucalyptus and Bradfordpear are mere sweet drops in the honeypot. More than 300 distinctive types ofhoney are produced in the United States ofAmerica.

“Each region of America grows differentplants and therefore has different honey,”explains Mark Brady, President of theAmerican Honey Producers Association.“Texas, for example, produces honey fromwhite brush, cat claw and mesquite plants;Nebraska is famed for its clover and alfalfahoney; South Carolina and Florida fortupelo.”

“You can even get honey from cactus,”explain Erika Wain and Klaus Koepfli, ofCalifornia’s Klausesbees honey company,who sell a thick cactus honey from theMojave Desert of California.

Despite this wide range of choices, mostAmericans have only tasted honey blends.“Companies that supply supermarkets mixhoney from many different beekeepers,”explains Troy Fore, Executive Director ofthe American Beekeeping Federation.“Supermarket honey is just as good andnutritious as any honey. However, uniqueand unusual flavours may be lost in theintermingling of many flavours.”

Bruce Wolk, Director of Marketing forthe National Honey Board, recommendslogging on to the board’s Web site,www.honeylocator.com, to discover honey’svaried flavours. The site lists hundreds oftypes of unique honeys as well as where tobuy them.

Pure Mountain Honey(www.MtnHoney.com), is just one of theartisanal producers featured on theNational Honey Board’s site. Owners Carland Virginia Webb, who humorously saythey employ 7 million workers, makesourwood honey from sourwood treesindigenous to Georgia. Their honey won top

prize for the “Best honey in the world” atthe 2005 World Honey Show in Dublin,Ireland, which included 400 entriesrepresenting 21 different countries.(Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner[United States of America], 16 July 2008.)

Beeswax in cosmetics, soap and

ointments

Top-quality, pure beeswax can be used tomake fine soap, shampoos, skin ointmentsand cosmetics. If used this way, it ispossible for beeswax from just one beecolony to generate more income than fromall the honey harvested from the same hive.Scrupulous cleanliness, careful workingand attractive packaging are essential forsuccess with these value-added products.(Source: Bees and their role in forestlivelihoods, FAO Non-Wood Forest Productsseries 19 [in press].)

Bee checklist buzzes online

Biologists have recently completed an onlineeffort to compile a world checklist of bees.They have identified nearly 19 500 beespecies worldwide, about 2 000 more thanpreviously estimated. There is a currentcrisis known as “colony collapse disorder”,an unexplained phenomenon that is wipingout colonies of honeybees throughout theUnited States of America. This crisis hashighlighted the need for more informationabout bee species and their interactionswith the plants they pollinate.

The bee checklist includes currentlyaccepted scientific names, synonyms andcommon names. A current, complete andauthoritative taxonomic checklist is key tolinking all information about species.

Compiling the checklist has taken morethan five years and the efforts of leadingbee taxonomists on six continents. Thechecklist, coordinated by the staff of theIntegrated Taxonomic Information System,a public-private partnership hosted at theNational Museum of Natural History, isavailable at www.itis.gov. (Source: BCN284, August 2008.)

BERRIES

The amazing benefits of the açaí berry

The many health benefits of the açaí fruit,which is rapidly growing in popularityworldwide, have been long known byindigenous Central and South Americanswhere the fruit grows on the açaí palm inswamplands.

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The berry is a small fruit, the size of agrape. It is dark purple in colour with alarge seed. The açaí palm bears fruit twicea year. When consumed, the berry leaves aslight hint of bitter aftertaste, whichresembles that of chocolate. It can beprepared in many ways. Mostly, the berry isprepared as a drink.

When consumed on a regular basis, theaçaí berry offers many health benefits. Thefruit is good for the body mainly because ofits antioxidant properties: it is able to rid thebody rapidly of harmful toxins. As a result,shortly after consumption of açaí berries,an individual may feel a boost in energylevels. Açaí improves mental clarity andpromotes sound sleep. It even helps withdigestive functions.

Perhaps the greatest benefit that hasbeen given the most attention is that theaçaí berry helps in the weight loss process.Blood circulation is improved when toxinsare removed. Improved blood circulationeventually leads to slowing down of theageing process. Skin will look healthier andcholesterol levels will be regulated. Theheart also strengthens. If the body iscurrently suffering from any physicalinjuries, the improved blood circulation andthe strong heart will help speed up thehealing process. (Source: AmericanChronicle [United States of America], 25November 2008.)

Mulberries hailed as new superfruit

The mulberry, which resembles araspberry, boasts an impressive nutritionalCV, outperforming cranberries,blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.The mulberry’s levels of antioxidants are 79percent higher than blueberries and 24percent more than those found incranberries. It is packed full of vitaminsand fibre and contains high levels ofresveratrol, the antioxidant superhero,which helps combat heart disease andcancer and helps lower cholesterol and

other diseases associated with chronicinflammation.

Amazingly, this antioxidant appears tofool cancer cells into believing the DNA hasalready been damaged and so possibly helpprevent the spreading of the disease. It isearly days but scientists at HarvardUniversity are excited about another insightinto how cancer may be tackled.

And mulberries can help to keep youfighting fit throughout the winter too – arecent report in the Journal of InfectiousDiseases states that resveratrol decreasedthe reproduction of the influenza virus; inother words, it may be useful in preventing ortreating flu. (Source: Easier (press release)[United Kingdom], 25 September 2008.)

Heatwave spells Swedish berry shortage

The recent dry spell has led to an acuteshortage of berries in Swedish woodlands. Mainly affected are the woodlands south ofupper Norrland in northern Sweden.According to Marogan Tjernberg,spokesman for the Swedish ForestberryAssociation, the situation is really dire insouthern areas. Summer’s popularblueberries and cloudberries have simplyshrivelled up in the dry heat anddisappeared. Southern counties such asVärmland are worst affected, but it remainsto be seen if other areas recover, as it isstill early in the season.

As well as mushroom picking, berrypicking is a popular Swedish pastime. It isalso a source of economic income. In 2000,according to the Swedish ForestberryAssociation, 14 000 tonnes of berries werecollected for retail purposes, of which 70percent were blueberries. Commercialberry pickers are almost always non-Swedes. (Source: The Local [Sweden], 3August 2008.)

Goji berry poses risk to the United

Kingdom’s tomato and potato crops

Goji berries might look innocuous, but thecurrent craze for this “superfood” – fuelledby the endorsement of celebrities – coulddevastate the United Kingdom’smultimillion-pound tomato and potato crops.

The Government has alerted farmers tothe threat after it revealed last week thatnearly 90 000 goji berry plants, which cancarry diseases that are lethal to othercrops, have been illegally imported fromEast Asia in the past year. Some of theplants have been destroyed but it is fearedthat most are already in the gardens ofgoji-berry enthusiasts.

The Department for Environment, Foodand Rural Affairs (Defra) has issued awarning to commercial growers, gardencentres and gardeners, while the NationalFarmers’ Union has warned that diseasecarried by the bright red berries could be“devastating”.

The goji berry, also known as Lyciumbarbarum, contains up to 500 times morevitamin C than an orange, and is native tothe Tibetan Himalayas. It has been used formedicinal purposes in China for centuries.

The Plant Health and Seeds Inspectoratewarned there is a “substantial trade” inprohibited goji plants in the UnitedKingdom. Seeds and berries can beimported from anywhere in the world, butonly plants grown within the EuropeanUnion are permitted to be imported to theUnited Kingdom, because they are certifiedto be free of disease. (Source: TheIndependent [United Kingdom], 20 July2008.)

Synsepalum dulcificum: miracle fruit turns

sour into sweet

Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A Florida growersaid demand is rising for a red berrynicknamed “miracle fruit” that can makesour things taste sweet. Curtis Mozie saidthe berries, which are native to West Africa,change taste for more than two hours,making sour things such as limes taste likecandy, the South Florida Sun-Sentinelreported on Monday.

Scientists said the berry, Synsepalumdulcificum, contains a glycoprotein calledmiraculin that changes taste.

Mozie, who has more than a thousand“miracle fruit” trees in his orchard, chargesUS$3 a berry and ships 3 000 berries aweek. Cancer treatment centres havecontacted him to see if the fruit will boostthe appetite of chemotherapy patients, thenewspaper said. (Source: The Money Times[India], 1 July 2008.)

CINNAMON

Cinnamon, not just a culinary spice

Cinnamon (Cinnamomun verum) hasplayed an important role in medicinalhealing and as a culinary spice.

Cinnamon was used in Egypt as anembalming agent, a product that wasconsidered more precious than gold. Itswarming qualities made cinnamonessential to traditional Chinese medicineand its energy-based medical systems.

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As its popularity grew, mediaeval Europeheavily relied on cinnamon. It was aproduct in great demand and became oneof the first commodities traded regularlybetween the Near East and Europe.

Studies are currently under way by theUnited States Agricultural ResearchService to demonstrate that less than half ateaspoon per day of cinnamon reducesblood-sugar levels in persons with Type 2diabetes. Some question the toxicity of theregular use of cinnamon. However, resultsof a study published in the December 2003issue of Diabetes Research and ClinicalPractice reported that cinnamon enhancedmuscle cells for better insulin utility.

Cinnamon is also known for aidingclotting of blood platelets throughcinnamaldehyde. This product helps toprevent unwanted clumping of bloodplatelets, important in emergency injurieswhen bleeding should stop. Cinnamaldehydeworks by inhibiting the release of an anti-inflammatory fatty acid called arachidonicacid from platelet membranes. This processis also anti-inflammatory, which renderscinnamon an anti-inflammatory food.

Cinnamon is a powerful, naturalantioxidant when compared with otherantioxidant spices such as anise, ginger,liquorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla. Whencompared with chemical food preservatives(BHA, BHT and propyl gallate), cinnamonwas found to prevent oxidation moreeffectively than other spices, except mint andchemical antioxidants.

There is much to say about the odour ofthis spice in boosting brain activity. Researchhas shown that chewing cinnamon-flavouredgum or just smelling cinnamon-enhancedproducts improved brain functioning,attention span, visual-motor speed andmemory.

Iron, calcium and the trace mineralmanganese are also found in cinnamon.Moreover, it is a good source of dietary fibre.When calcium and fibre combine, they bindbile salts and remove them from the body.Bile salts, if not removed from the body, candamage colon cells, increasing the risk ofcolon cancer. Fibre in cinnamon may providerelief from constipation or diarrhoeaexperienced by sufferers of irritable bowelsyndrome.

As a culinary treat, cinnamon can providea quick, healthy twist to snacks such ascinnamon toast or honey and cinnamon onwholewheat toast. A deliciously warmingbeverage is cinnamon sticks simmered insoy milk. Adding cinnamon to dishes such aslamb for a Middle Eastern-inspired meal is amemorable departure from regular recipes.Adding cinnamon to curries gives them afurther kick.

Cinnamon is an excellent spice with greathealing properties, widely used in Easternand Western herbalism. It is equallyimportant in culinary creations across mostcultures. Cinnamon is a spice that should betruly treasured! (Source: Heather Little-White, Jamaica Gleaner [Jamaica], 6September 2008.)

Expanding Sri Lanka’s cinnamon trade

The Agriculture and Agrarian ServicesMinistry of Sri Lanka has devised a long-

term economic strategy to capturelucrative export markets for indigenoussubsidiary food crops. Under the “ApiWawamu-Rata Nagamu” concept, theMinistry expects to increase cinnamonexports up to 3 000 tonnes by 2010. TheMinistry has allocated Rs7 million for theExport Agriculture Department to expandcinnamon cultivation, which couldpotentially attract more export markets.

Ministry Advisor A.H.L. Somathilaka toldThe Island financial review that Sri Lankancinnamon had been rated as the best-quality cinnamon in the world market asthe country had been able to supply 90percent of cinnamon requirements. In theworld market, the supply of qualitycinnamon was about 15 percent and thesupply of cassia cinnamon, a lower-qualitysubstitute, was around 85 percent.

He said that Sri Lanka had beensupplying quality cinnamon to the worldmarket while China, Indonesia and VietNam had been exporting cassia cinnamon.The Ministry was positive that Sri Lankawould be able to increase cinnamonexports by 5 percent in 2010.

Somathilaka explained that cinnamonhad been cultivated on 25 413 ha, with eachhectare yielding around 500 kg of cinnamonannually. Of this amount, around 5 350tonnes were being exported and Sri Lankahad been earning Rs2 229.2 million fromcinnamon exports annually. Future plansfor cinnamon cultivation would includeexports of 3 000 tonnes by 2010, qualityenhancement and increases in revenue,production and profits. (Source: The Island(subscription) [Sri Lanka], 22 September2008.)

CORK

Portugal fighting screw-cap trend to save

cork forests

It has recently emerged that fallingdemand for authentic cork stoppers isgradually forcing farmers to replace corktrees with alternative crops, such aseucalyptus trees.

At present, according to the World WildFund for Nature (WWF) Web site, Portugalis the world’s largest cork producer,followed by Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Italy,Tunisia and France.

The majority of cork harvested in theIberian Peninsula is used to produce bottlestoppers, which represents an estimated70 percent of the income from harvest.

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CINNAMON: THE CEYLON, CHINACONNECTION

The fragrant, sweet, warm taste ofcinnamon that people have come tolove so much comes from the brownbark of the cinnamon tree. It isproduced in a dried, tubular formknown as quill (cinnamon sticks) or isreadily available as ground powder.

The main varieties are Ceylon andChinese; Ceylon is slightly sweeter, morerefined and difficult to find in localmarkets. Ceylon cinnamon is producedin Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Brazil and theCaribbean. The Chinese variety, morepopular in North America, is known ascassia and is less expensive than theCeylon variety. The Chinese variety isproduced mainly in China, Viet Nam andIndonesia.

It is the essential oils of the bark ofthe cinnamon tree that give cinnamonits unique healing abilities. The oilscontain active compounds such ascinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate andcinnamyl alcohol, among other volatilesubstances.

These oils qualify the spice as anantimicrobial food. Research has shownthat it has the ability to stop the growthof bacteria and fungi, including theproblematic yeast, candida. TheInternational Journal of FoodMicrobiology (August 2003) reportedthat the antimicrobial properties ofcinnamon are so effective that it hasbeen used as an alternative totraditional food preservatives.



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However, traditional cork stoppers are beingreplaced with synthetic closures or screwcaps, which now account for around 20percent of the market.

It is said that problems with bottles ofwine becoming “corked” (in laypersonterms, where the wine develops a mustysmell and becomes undrinkable because ofcontamination with a chemical known astrichloroanisol), have led many wineconnoisseurs to opt for bottles with syntheticcork or screw tops instead.

In a nutshell, this shift in traditional bottlestopping to using modern-day products isthreatening to wipe out cork forests, alongwith the species that reside therein.

Cork oak forests in Portugal cover anestimated 33 percent of land mass and arehome to a number of rare and endangeredspecies, particularly in southern Portugal.These include black storks and bootedeagles, which are already disappearing insome areas, and the Iberian lynx, which overthe past few years has been the subject ofextensive reporting and campaigning.

A study by WWF, which was recentlyreported in The Telegraph newspaper,estimated that up to three-quarters of theMediterranean’s cork forests could be lostwithin ten years. Over the past ten years inthe Algarve, cork forests have declined by 28percent.

In an attempt to boost productivity,Portuguese cork producers have introducednew sterilization and purification methods toensure corks are not contaminated withtrichloroanisol.

Over the years, Portugal’s cork industryhas not been without turmoil. In August2008, environment protection agencyQuercus considered the felling of 1 200 corktrees in Vale da Rosa a “glaring disregard” ofthe law. The trees were felled to make spacefor a mega residential development. Legalaction was instigated by Quercus to stop thefelling, alleging that the trees are of aspecies protected by Portuguese law.

Back in 2001, there were political movesto defend Portugal’s cork oaks whendelegates from the Socialist Party-runCouncil of Montijo met with officialsrepresenting the then President JorgeSampaio, with the initiation of a nationalpetition to be presented to Parliament.

Motivated by the perceived weakening oflegal protection for cork and holm oak trees,environmental groups such as Quercusvoiced their concern over the proposedchanges to the law since it was first draftedin the year 2000.

The felling of 66 ha of cork forest for thecontroversial Alqueva dam project, innorthern Alentejo, also highlighted threatsposed by development projects to existingoak woodland. (Source: Portugal News,Algarve [Portugal], 6 December 2008.)

Cork comes unscrewed

Is the corkscrew destined to join the garter,snuff box and cassette tape in that dustydrawer of obsolete accessories? Given thatabout 90 percent of New Zealand wines arenow under screw cap and even the Frenchare starting to convert, it certainly lookslikely that in the future far fewer corks willbe pulled.

Cork has been used as a stopper sincethe 1600s, when it was adopted by DomPerignon to replace the cloth-wrappedwooden plugs that kept popping out of hischampagne containers.

However, as a natural product, cork hasan inherent variability, with some corksproviding the tight seal required, whileothers allow some oxygen to sneak past.Even more of a concern has been a nastymould called trichloroanisol (TCA) thatimparts musty aromas and flavours. Butcork’s monopoly created complacency andproducers were seen to be doing little tosort out this issue.

That was until new closures, such assynthetic corks and screw caps, came on tothe scene and were embraced bywinemakers, frustrated that up to 10percent of their products could be spoiledby their packaging. Of these it is the screwcap that has really taken off. Thepracticality of the cap and reassurance thatthe wine will be taint-free, has meant thatdrinkers are now sending back wines ifthey are not under screw caps!

Caps have not been without their critics,some blaming their near-hermetic seal forthe creation of eggy-smelling hydrogensulphides in wine. This was a problem in

the early days, but appears to have beenlargely rectified through more appropriatewinemaking. (Source: New Zealand Herald[New Zealand], 7 September 2008.)

ESSENTIAL OILS

The role of essential oils in combating

mosquito-borne diseases

Despite rapid advances in medical scienceduring the past decades, mosquito-bornediseases such as dengue, Japaneseencephalitis (JE), filiarisis, malaria andchikungunya continue to torment humanbeings. This is because mosquito vectors aswell as causative agents such as bacteriaand fungi have developed resistance againstpesticides and antimicrobial drugs.

According to Dr Nor Azah Mohamad Ali,senior researcher at the Forest ResearchInstitute of Malaysia (FRIM), the best moveto curb the breeding of the mosquito is todestroy its larva or through the use of insectrepellents. “At the moment, the control ofthe mosquito vectors depends on thechemical-based and synthetic repellentslike dimethyl phthalate, malathion anddimethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). Even thoughthe chemicals are effective, some could behazardous in addition to being ozone-depleting, and continuous use could makethe mosquito vectors resistant toinsecticides.”

Dr Nor Azah suggested the possibility ofusing herbs and spices, whose essentialoils are able to repel insects, asinsecticides. The presence ofmonoterpenoids such as limonene,citronellol, geraniol and citronellal havebeen reported as having insect-repellentproperties. “As aromas play an importantrole in controlling the insects’ behaviour,essential oils can be used as insectrepellents,” she said.

From FRIM’s research, a number ofessential oils such as Cymbopogon nardus,Litsea eliptica, Melaleuca cajuputi andCinnamomum spp. demonstrate repellentproperties against the Aedes aegyptiimosquito. She said essential oils from otherplants reported to be able to repel insectsare those from geranium (Pelargoniumcitrosum), sandalwood (Aquilariamalaccensis) and sweet basil (Ocimumspp.).

FRIM’s research also showed that theessential oil product “Deesrept” is able torepel the mosquito to the extent of killing it,said Dr Nor Azah.

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Scientists already knew thatMediterranean oregano oil was a powerfulantimicrobial, because of an essentialcompound called carvacol. But nobody hadtested the Himalayan oregano oil before,said Heron, so they teamed up with SGSwho run a laboratory in Delhi and found itcontained as much carvacol asMediterranean oregano.

At SGS they ran further tests and foundthat Himalayan oregano oil was moreeffective at killing MRSA than 18 antibiotics.The microbiologists at UWE are nowcarrying out further tests, and hope topublish the results in a scientific journal.(Source: Medical News Today [UnitedKingdom], 24 November 2008.)

FUNGI

A rain forest fungus may be the future of

biofuel

A recent discovery in the Patagonian rainforest has revealed a most extraordinaryfungus that produces gas nearly identical todiesel fuel. Gliocladium roseum, livinginside the ulmo tree in the rain forest, notonly produces diesel-like fumes but alsofeeds off cellulose; hence its potential as afuel supplier is magnified by the fact that itwould not be disruptive to food chains. Moreresearch is soon to follow. (Source:Mongabay.com, 4 November 2008.)

Antibiotic-producing mushroom discovered

The Philippines. A group of governmentscientists recently discovered an antibiotic-producing micro-organism from a type ofmushroom that has been found to beeffective in treating diseases of livestock,particularly swine, the Department ofScience and Technology (DOST) reportedyesterday.

The scientists from DOST’s NationalResearch Council of the Philippines, led byDr Asuncion Raymundo, a plant pathologist,found that the mushroom species Clitopiluspasseckerianus produces the antibioticcalled pleuromutilin.

Data from DOST’s Philippine Council forAgriculture, Forestry and NaturalResources Research and Development(PCARRD) showed that the Philippines wasamong the leading hog raisers in the Asia-Pacific Region in 2001. However, the reportalso stated that Luzon’s production rate,compared with that of Mindanao andVisayas, has plummeted in 2001 comparedwith earlier years, attributing this to the



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The discovery of “Deesrept”, whichcontains one or a blend of essential oils fromthe citrus family, is among the successeschalked up by FRIM from its research onessential oils. “This essential oil can beincluded in creams and lotions,” Dr Nor Azahsaid. Products could also be used as bodysprays or air fresheners, she said, addingthat a Bumiputera firm is working oncommercializing the product.

In studies held at FRIM, it was found thataroma-producing plants such as citrus,selasih (Ocimum), serai (Cymbopogon) andmedang (Cinnamomum) exhibited potentialin repelling mosquito when tested on Aedesaegyptii via the American Society Testing andMaterials (ASTM) standard E951-85. Dr NorAzah said the most effective essential oilsdiscovered so far are those from citrusplants.

Further research is needed to ensure non-toxicity and optimum efficiency of theessential oils. Moreover, public awarenesson alternative products for repellingmosquito is high, but there are only a few ofsuch products on the market because oflimited resources of raw materials. The useof natural herbs as raw products has pushedup the processing costs.

FRIM has begun the cultivation ofmedicinal herbs such as serai wangi forresearch and commercial purposes. It is alsotaking proactive measures in maintainingnatural resources. “Our jungles containnumerous herbal treasures that havepotential, but if we acquire any species forresearch, then we will plant it back.” (Source:Bernama [Malaysia], 24 September 2008.)

Himalayan oregano effective against MRSA

A team comprising researchers from aUnited Kingdom university, members of localbusinesses and an NGO in India hasdiscovered that the essential oil of Himalayanoregano has strong antibacterial propertiesand even kills the hospital superbugmethicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus(MRSA). They hope these findings will lead tothe development of hand soaps and surfacedisinfectants in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

The United Kingdom researchers are fromthe University of the West of England (UWE),Bristol, who teamed up with, among others,India-based Biolaya Organics, a companythat develops projects aimed at conservingendangered medicinal herbs, for example bycultivating them using sustainable methodsand providing alternatives such as morecommon species.

The team is working on a project to giverural communities the means to generateincome from sustainable collection ofNTFPs in the Kullu district of HimachalPradesh. Earlier this year, the UnitedNations Environment Programme (UNEP)gave the project the SEED award. SEED isan international programme with UNbacking that supports entrepreneurialpartnerships that develop creative, locallyled solutions to the global challenges ofsustainable development.

The creative and innovative part of the

project is that it potentially gives asustainable source of income to the peopleof the Himalayas while at the same timeproviding United Kingdom hospitals with anenvironmentally friendly way of preventingthe spread of MRSA. The HimalayanOregano Project was one of five SEED 2008winners that were selected this year fromover 400 entries worldwide.

Himalayan oregano is just commonOriganum vulgare that grows in theHimalayas. In fact, the local people in Kulludo not regard it as having any culinary ormedicinal value and treat it as a weed: theycall it “bekaar gahaas” or “useless grass”because even cows and goats will not eat it.

Ben Heron from Biolaya Organics saidthey started working with oregano becauseit is a plant that can be gathered year afteryear without depleting the population in thewild. He said the project aims to pay localherb collectors the same amount theywould receive if they collected endangeredherbs, so they become less dependent onthe latter.

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Origanum vulgare



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The Phytotherapy Research Journalreports that ginsenoside Rg3, a red ginsengconstituent, can effectively inhibit cells inthe fat storage process. New research inthe Journal of the American College ofNutrition reveals the efficacy and safety inthe use of ginseng for diabetes, withmounting evidence to support the claimthat American ginseng is useful inimproving diabetes control, reducingassociated risk factors such ashyperlipidaemia and hypertension, andameliorating insulin resistance. TheJournal of Ethnopharmacology reports astudy acknowledging ginseng’s long historyas a herbal remedy for diabetes. Asreported in the Journal of Evidence BasedComplementary and Alternative Medicine,initiating studies have shown thatAmerican ginseng increases insulin

high mortality rate among swine on accountof disease. “The NRCP antibiotic derivedfrom the mushroom has the clear potentialto solve this problem,” DOST said.

For thousands of years, humans haverecognized the varied uses of mushrooms.In addition to being an effective fermentingagent, they are also considered an efficientwaste disposer and major manufacturer oforganic fertilizer, DOST said. Mushroomscan grow anywhere from farm animalmanure, from spoiled food in the kitchen, tothe dead barks and leaves in the deepestreaches of foliage. (Source: FreshPlaza[Netherlands], 18 July 2008.)

Nature’s “medicine chest” discovered

Over 25 percent of all contemporarymedications originate from moulds,mushrooms and other fungi, includingpenicillin and cyclosporine, animmunosuppressant that improves theacceptance rate following an organtransplant operation.

A ridge in the highest cloud forest ofBelize, at an altitude of over 3 500 feet (1 067 m), has been found to be a “mushroomheaven”. In 2007, fungus scientist Timothy J.Baroni from the State University of New Yorkat Cortland and others discovered over 40new species on the ridge in under two weeks.“We have a medicine cabinet at our disposal,and the medicines don’t have labels yet,”says Baroni, who is funded by the NationalGeographic Society’s Committee forResearch and Exploration.

The great potential of new fungusremains to be explored. (Source: NationalGeographic, 26 November 2008.)

GINSENG (PANAX spp.)

Ginseng found highly effective for weight

loss and diabetes control

Ginseng has long been one of thefoundations of healing in Chinese medicine,and is probably one of the world’s bestknown herbs. The botanical name Panaxmeans “all curing” in Greek. This 5 000-year-old healer has traditionally been usedas a restorative tonic to increase energy,stamina and well-being. Western scientistshave confirmed the efficacy of ginseng formany of the traditional uses. Nowresearchers are adding to the traditionallist, documenting ginseng as highlyeffective in weight loss and diabetes control.

New research documents ginseng’seffectiveness against obesity and diabetes.

production and reduces cell death inpancreatic beta-cells. Studies have alsorevealed American ginseng’s ability todecrease blood glucose in Type 2 diabetespatients as well as in diabetes inducedanimals.

Ginseng lives up to its name as a cure-all. Russian research showed that ginsengstimulated physical and mental activities intired and weak individuals and increasedenergy and physical endurance. Asianresearchers have documented ginseng’sability to reduce fatigue and increasestamina and found that ginseng aids in theformation of red blood cells, helping toeliminate anaemia. Ginseng strengthensthe gastrointestinal system, facilitates liverregeneration, and helps detoxify poisons. Inaddition, ginseng is one of the few herbsshowing promise in the treatment of

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CHARACTERISTICS OF GINSENG

Ginseng is one of the adaptogens, agroup of non-toxic, non-habit formingsubstances that normalize bodychemistry and functioning. Adaptogensincrease the body’s ability to cope withphysical, emotional and environmentalstress. They work in a synergisticmanner, increasing the body’s ownability to fight off disease. The greaterthe body’s need for an adaptogen, theincreasingly active the substancebecomes.

Ginseng is a plant with manydifferent components. It is used in itsentirety in the preparation of teas andthe root is used in powders andcapsules. The term ginseng is used torefer to Panax ginseng and P.quinquefolius, first cousins in theAraliaceae family. Each contains adifferent balance of the ginsenosides,giving it a unique character.

Ginseng was first found in Manchuriaand was referred to by the ancientChinese as “Ren Shen”, meaning “Manroot”. They believed that regularconsumption of ginseng led to a longand happy life. Ginseng became sovaluable that it was prized beyond gold.It was so popular that the supply ofginseng from the Chinese mainlandcould not meet the demand, andimports were brought from Korea.

When the wild stock was exhausted,commercial cultivation began. Wildginseng is believed to have a greatermedicinal value than the cultivatedvariety.

Ginseng is used fresh or dried.Sometimes plant leaves are added withthe root, but the root is the highlyprized part of the plant. Cultivatedginseng is available as red ginseng andwhite ginseng. The difference lies in theway the root is processed. The differentgeographic names before the word“ginseng” indicate where the plant wasgrown. Subtle variations exist betweenthe varieties.

Ginseng contains a number ofcompounds that are unique. Many ofthese elements have an effect on theadrenal glands, increasing the amountof hormone secretion to ward off bothphysical and emotional stress. Scientistsbelieve that it is this effect that isresponsible for the stress-fighting powerof ginseng.

Ginseng



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chronic fatigue syndrome. (Source: NaturalNews.com [United States of America], 1December 2008.)

Wet weather forcing early ginseng harvest

in Canada

Wet weather this summer has forced manyginseng farmers into an early harvest.Growers are racing to salvage what theycan now that root rot and berry blight havebecome a problem. Shade and straw onthird- and fourth-year fields have beenremoved on some farms in preparation foran early harvest. Under normal conditions,the mature root is dug in October and thenonly in its fourth year.

Phytophthora root rot is the majorthreat because the fungus spreads rapidlyin saturated soil. Ginseng root should havethe consistency and colour of freshparsnips when it comes out of the ground.Root rot moves quickly once it isestablished and turns ginseng root tomush. Red berries at the top of the ginsengplant develop purple discolourations in thepresence of botrytis head blight. Theberries, which are harvested for seed,develop a grey, fuzzy appearance as thefungus matures. Sean Westerveld, aginseng and medicinal herb specialist withthe Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, says itis difficult to fight root rot when the soil iscontinuously saturated.

Under ideal conditions, ginseng willreceive light rain or dew over night and dry,warm conditions by day with low humidity.

Most of the Ontario ginseng crop is soldin Asia, where it is used in tea and food andas a traditional folk medicine. (Source:Tillsonburg News, Ontario [Canada], 15August 2008.)

LAC

Lac technology to increase the shelf-life of

fruits

Ranchi, Scientists in the state havediscovered an ecofriendly and economicpreservative – lac wax coating – to use forcommercial purposes. “We were aware ofthe fact that lac wax coating on fruits couldhelp preserve them for long, but now weare planning to use the technology forcommercial purpose,” said K.K. Sharma,principal scientist at the Indian Institute ofNatural Resins and Gums.

Annual lac production in India is around25 000 tonnes, of which the state’s share isabout 40 percent, Sharma added. Until

now, the produce of the state was beingused mainly to manufacture electricalinsulators and dye fixtures.

Lac is a natural polymer derived frominsects and it has great adhesive strength.

It has high electrical insulation, iswaterproof and resistant to moisture andcorrosion. It is also highly plastic.

The institute has been conductingresearch on lac since 1930 and has earneda worldwide reputation on the subject. “Wehave found that the shelf-life of certainfruits and vegetables could be increased bythree months using a thin coating of lacwax,” said Sharma.

Research on fruits such as apples andoranges, and vegetables such as pointedgourd and capsicum, have givenencouraging results. “The lac wax coatingallows the oxygen to pass but preventswater and moisture permeability to keepthe fruits fresh,” said Sharma, adding thata thick coating of lac wax could result infermentation.

To develop a flawless technology of waxcoating, the institute has recently tied upwith the Central Institute of Post-HarvestEngineering and Technology, Ludhiana.(Source: Calcutta Telegraph [India], 25September 2008.)

LIANAS

Lianas in Guyana

Liana is the common name for woody vinesthat depend upon the old-growth treecanopies in rain forests. Liana is useful forfurniture production, as shown by thesuccessful business venture at the LianaCane sustainable furniture factory inGuyana.

Kufu (Clusia spp.), a material similar torattan and bamboo, is one such liana thatgrows from the canopy down to the forestfloor. Kufu is used to make furnitureframes and cladding. Nibbi (Heteropisflexousa), a small vine that winds its way

from the forest floor up trunks is perfectlysuited for binding joints, as well as forwicker-like weaving. The fibre of the itepalm, tibisiri (Mauritia flexuosa), makes acord-like material that is woven into fabricfor seats and chair backs.

The use of NTFPs presents an option forindigenous people to create sustainableeconomic alternatives to plundering thetimber of their lands. As liana can onlygrow in the forest, finding a use for thesevines gives purpose to maintaining thehealth of that forest. (Source: extractedfrom: W. Gordon. 2008. One factory, oneforest: design, ecology and microeconomicdevelopment in Guyana. New York, UnitedStates of America, Core 77.)


Jocelyn, Compton or Sharla, Liana Cane, 173

Charlotte Street, Georgetown, Guyana.

Fax: (592) 2274232;

e-mail : [email protected] and

[email protected]

Una Liana de los bosques tropicales de

América, es al presente vulnerable a

causa del comercio

La Liana robusta es un producto forestal nomaderero (PFNM) de importanciaeconómica y se encuentra en los bosquestropicales de América. Pertenece a lafamilia Bignoniaceae (Arrabidaea chica[Humb. y Bonpl] Verl.), supera los 20 m delongitud y apoya su estructura en el doselsuperior de las copas de los árboles en losbosques tropicales de América.

Su mayor empleo y uso tradicional es lautilización de sus hojas como colorantenatural para dar tonalidades marrones autensilios artesanales.

Recibe diversos nombres comunes: enCosta Rica bejuco de fierro, carajirú en% %

Arrabidaea chica



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Brasil, puca panga en Perú, chica enColombia, witts en Nicaragua, nea curi enEcuador.

En forma complementaria el tallo se haempleado para la obtención de fibras que seutilizan para la confección de cestos. Paraello la planta es cosechada en poblacionessilvestres.

Se distribuye en bosques desde el sur deMéxico hasta el norte de Argentina, seencuentra en altitudes de 0 a 1000 m sobreel nivel del mar. Sobre todo en las parteshúmedas de bosques tropicales y muyhúmedos.Propiedades: En Perú, Duke y Vásquez(1994) hacen referencia a que este colorantees también usado para el tratamiento deafecciones de la piel y herpes; y sus hojasson usadas como anatiinflamatorio. EnCosta Rica, Ocampo y Valverde (1987) hacenreferencia a que los aborígenes Guaymi,emplean las hojas hervidas para los doloresmenstruales y también como colorante parateñir fibras.Comercio: El comercio es regional enAmazonas, Brasil. La situación del comerciode las hojas se ha ampliado al mercadointernacional para su empleo en la industriade cosméticos.Procedencia de la materia prima: Lamateria prima son las hojas, que secosechan en poblaciones silvestres.Exigencias ambientales: A. chica presenta,a priori, condiciones para su domesticaciónpor medio del manejo agroecológico. Estaespecie, considerada una heliófita, sepresenta en bosques primarios con porte deliana de gran tamaño, con su follaje en eldosel superior, en cambio en bosques deregeneración y bosques secundarios, es demenor tamaño, debido a la mayorluminosidad.Acciones de domesticación: El JardínAgroecológico Bougainvillea, ubicado en elCaribe de Costa Rica inició en el año 1998 unproyecto con financiación de la OEA/AICD,implementando acciones dirigidas a la dedomesticación y conservación in situ deeste importante producto forestal nomaderero.

A continuación se detallan lasactividades.Propagación sexual: La propagación sexualde A. chica ha sido poco estudiada ya quepor tener el hábito de liana yfructificaciones escasas, no se ha logradoevaluar la germinación de las semillas.Propagación asexual: En el ensayo dereproducción asexual realizado por Groome(1998), los resultados indicaron que a mayor

NUTS

Brazil nuts in Peru: a lot of nuts,

a lot of noise

The Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa), despiteits name, is not exclusive to that country and,contrary to common sense, the mainproducer is Bolivia. The nut grows naturally inthe humid forests of Bolivia, Brazil and Peruand comes from one of the highest trees inthe tropical Amazon region. Curiously, thelocally named Brazil nut is known in thiscountry under the name of “castaña de para”while in Bolivia is identified as “castaña delbeni”.

The Brazil nut has a very dynamic demandglobally, which has risen with the increasedconsumption of healthy products. Also,considering that this product is an excellentsource of selenium, magnesium andthiamine and is full of proteins andcarbohydrates, it constitutes an ideal diureticfood and a medicinal option for ear infections.

Taking advantage of this trend, Peruvianexports of Brazil nuts are expanding to newmarkets, such as Hong Kong and Viet Nam,in addition to the traditional list of countriessuch as the United States of America, theUnited Kingdom and Canada, which togetheraccount for almost 92 percent of Peru’scurrent exports.

Between January and September 2007,the volume of exported Brazil nuts grew by4.7 percent, overcoming the barrier of US$10million. Even though the United States ofAmerica is already the main market for thisproduct, it is important to notice that becauseof the preferences of the Peru TradePromotion Agreement (PTPA) that will enterinto force in January 2009, Peru faces theopportunity of increasing its sales to thismarket, using the preferential access.

On the other hand, given the fact that Peruexports Brazil nuts in a primary state, Thecountry also faces the challenge of sellingthese products with greater transformation.So, Peru could sell nuts without shells and

diámetro mayor número de raíces, sin influirla presencia de hojas y el tipo de sustrato(arena y suelo); siendo entonces los factoresmás relevantes el número de nudos porestaca y la madurez fisiológica del tallo.

En los ensayos realizados en el JardínBougainvillea, se determinó que de lautilización de estacas leñosas de entre 1 y 2cm de diámetro, se logra obtener entre un85 y un 92 por ciento de éxito en elenraizamiento de estacas. Manejo agroecológico: Sistemaagroecológico, es el manejo de A. chica,sobre soportes vivos, que se basa encriterios agroecológicos de manejo deluminosidad (sistema de barbacoa), sumanejo es favorecido al tener uncomportamiento de especie heliófita, lacapacidad de adaptación silvestre a sueloscon bajo pH (3,5-5), y a la capacidad deresponder a prácticas silviculturales (poda).

En 2002, Medrano determinó que entretres coberturas de vegetación, el bosquesecundario bajo presenta una mayorproducción de peso seco de hojas.

Por lo tanto, el adecuado manejo de lailuminación y de los soportes son losprincipales elementos a considerar paraobtener los mejores rendimientos de hojasal implementar acciones de cultivoagroecológico.Manejo diversificado del bosque: Dentro dela iniciativa del manejo diversificado delbosque, el hecho de que la especieresponda a claros y/o aperturas del dosel, asucesiones secundarias tempranas, dondeexiste disponibilidad de luz, hace que lamisma sea ideal para el manejo en áreas deproducción con especies arbóreas. Cosecha y recolección: La primera cosechase realiza cuando el individuo ha alcanzadoun diámetro (d0.5) de 1,5 cm (diámetromínimo de cosecha), ya que son plantasproductivas que pueden ser manejadas enforma sostenible.

La hoja deshidratada presenta unacoloración marrón.Conclusión: El Jardín AgroecológicoBougainvillea ha dado importantes aportespara su conservación in situ, en los bosquestropicales y en acciones de manejoagroecológico para la cosecha de hojas parala industria de extractos naturales y paradisminuir la cosecha de poblacionessilvestres. (Aportación hecha por Rafael A.Ocampo S., Jardín agroecológico de plantasmedicinales, Bougainvillea S.A., ApartadoAéreo. 764-3100, Santo Domingo, Heredia,Costa Rica. Correo electrónico:[email protected]; www.bioextractos.com)

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Bertholletia excelsa



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toasted, packed for snacks or to be used inchocolates, sweets and bakery products ingeneral. Additionally, it is possible to explorethe hidden potential of this product for thecosmetic industry as an input for oils, make-up and beauty products.

It is evident, therefore, that not only doesPeru have a wide potential to expand its salesto this market, but it also has the opportunityto increase the value of exported productsand obtain greater profits that may give anextra impulse to the generation of more andbetter jobs for Peruvians. (Source: Living inPeru [Peru], 15 July 2008.)

Europe’s chestnut Castanea sativa forests

In past centuries, for people living in Europe’sforested areas, which then included much ofthe Mediterranean’s shoreline, forests of thechestnut Castanea sativa were veryimportant. These sweet chestnut forestsextended from the mountainous uplands ofPortugal and Spain, through France and intonorthern Germany, the west coast of Italy,and throughout central Europe as far asTurkey, and provided an important source oflivelihood. In previous times, chestnuts wereharvested and dried, milled into flour, or usedwhole with other foods, providing an excellentsource of protein and carbohydrate-richnutrition. When chestnut trees floweredbetween June and July, they providedabundant nectar and pollen forage for bees,from which a valuable chestnut honey isharvested with a dark colour, a fruity scentlike over-ripe apples and a strong, slightlytannic flavour.

The chestnut forests provided a labour-intensive, slow-maturing harvest – the treestake 20 years to bear chestnuts, but thenremain productive for a hundred years ormore. Quick-growing staples such aspotatoes, maize and beans eventuallyreplaced the chestnut crop. This left theforests, where chestnuts remained untendedand vulnerable, no longer valued as providersof food and income. Equally at risk were theadditional crops the forest supported,including the honey produced by the forest’sindigenous Apis mellifera honeybees, as wellas valuable fungi such as chanterelles andtruffles.

In recent years, new harvesters havearrived in some of these forests, oftenescapees from urban life, who arecommercially educated and aware of theneed for the forests to create a livelihood.New industries have developed, using locallabour and expertise to harvest the chestnutsand market them with modern methods of

processing and packaging. Invisible earningsinclude a sustainable industry to assist thesurvival of smallholding communities indanger of losing their livelihoods, in additionto fine harvests of forest fungi, and the topvalue chestnut honey. (Source: Bees and theirrole in forest livelihoods, FAO Non-WoodForest Products series 19 [in press].)

Maya nut

Maya nut (Brosimum alicastrum) or Ramon,Ojoche, Masica, Ujuxte, Ojushte, Ojite, Ash,Ox, Capomo, Mojo, and Breadnut is adelicious, nutritious, abundant nut fromneotropical rain forest trees that provided astaple food for pre-Columbian huntergatherers. Maya nuts are exceptionallynutritious, providing high-quality protein,calcium, iron, folate, fibre and vitamins A, E, Cand B.

Unfortunately, knowledge about Maya nutshas decreased as globalization, export cropsand deforestation negatively impactindigenous cultures and the forests thatsustain them. As a result of this loss ofindigenous knowledge, people cut Maya nuttrees for firewood and burn forests to plantmaize, beans and other crops. The Maya nuttree is in danger of extinction throughout itsrange, a situation that threatens the foodsecurity of both human and animalpopulations.

The Equilibrium Fund’s Maya Nut Programis working to rescue lost traditionalknowledge about the tree for food, fodder,and ecosystem services. Since its inception in2001, more than 8 000 women have beentrained from 450 communities in Honduras,Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador andMexico. The programme has resulted in theconservation of more than 400 000 ha of Mayanut forests and the planting of more than 800 000 new seedlings. The programme

focuses on women as the caretakers of thefamily and the environment, and addresseskey factors for sustainable livelihoods –sociocultural, environmental and economic –by creating leadership, educational andeconomic opportunities for women and girls.

Our newest programme, “Healthy kids,healthy forests” (Bosques sanos, niñossanos) aims to provide Maya nut-basedschool lunches to rural children. Starting inGuatemala in 2008, we are feeding 8 124children from 46 communities in the Peténregion of Guatemala. These communities areplanting more than 300 000 new Maya nuttrees as “food forests” to sustain theprogramme in the future. (Source: RainforestAlliance. 2008. Project profile: Maya nut(Brosimum alicastrum): an ancient food for ahealthy future. New York, United States ofAmerica.


Erika Vohman, Project Director, Equilibrium Fund,

PO Box 2371, Crested Butte,

Colorado 81224, United States of America.

E-mail: [email protected];

http://theequilibriumfund.org/ or http://eco-

index.org/search/results.cfm? projectID=1181

(Please see page 35 of Non-Wood News 16 for

more information.)

SACHA INCHI(PLUKENETIA VOLUBILIS L.)

Sacha Inchi: the largest vegetable source of

Omega and antioxidants in the Peruvian

Amazon

Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.),commonly known as peanut mount, Sachapeanut or peanut of the Inca, is a native plantof the Peruvian Amazon. Utilized byindigenous peoples for centuries, Sacha Inchiwas also cultivated on the Peruvian coast inpre-Hispanic times. A shrub climber thatprefers warm climates and adapts to clay andacidic soils, Sacha Inchi is originally fromCentral America but is also currently found inthe departments of San Martin, Ucayali,Huanuco, Amazonas, Loreto and Madre deDios in Peru. In the wild, Sacha Inchi grows atthe edge of secondary forests, in sugar-canefields and on fences and is even found inplatanales and perennial crops.

In rural areas of San Martin, Peru,residents appreciate the nutritional value ofSacha Inchi seeds. Boiled or roasted, theseseeds are used in the preparation of varioustraditional dishes including inchicapi,

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Castanea sativa



34

reste pas moins un produit 100 pour centvégétal, naturel et bio. Avec l’engouement ducommerce équitable, il est en passe dedevenir le produit de soin incontournable àavoir dans sa salle de bain. Utilisé à tout âge,il demeure le meilleur allié des peaux sèchespour ses vertus hautement hydratantes etrégénérantes. Adieu, les sensations detiraillement pendant les frimas car il procureconfort et bien-être et laisse une peau douceet satinée.

Fort de ses vitamines A (anti-âge et anti-inflammatoire), D (calmante), E (antioxydanteet nutritive) et F (hydratante), le karitérenferme de nombreuses propriétés quiapportent souplesse et élasticité à la peau:adoucissantes et protectrices notammentpour les cheveux, antidesséchantes ethydratantes en prévention de la sécheressecutanée, réparatrices et cicatrisantes et,enfin apaisantes en cas d’allergies telles queles rhumes de foin. Le karité favoriseégalement le renouvellement cellulaire.(Source: Sud Quotidien, Sénégal, 16 juillet2008.)

Ghana’s local shea butter industry to be

enhanced

The United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) in collaboration withAfrica 2000 Network held a stakeholders’workshop to empower rural women innorthern Ghana to boost the local sheabutter industry. The project beneficiarieswould be trained under the Local LevelIntegrated Information System (LIIS), acomponent of the Sustainable RuralLivelihoods Project (SRLP) of UNDP.

Mr Shigeki Komatsubara, UNDP DeputyResident Representative in Ghana, said theLIIS model provides critical informationservices to local shea butter producersthrough the development of an exchangeplatform, using the Development InformationPortal. “The portal is expected to provide aone-stop shop for obtaining development

pepper sacha inchi, cutacho, butter sachainchi, inchi cucho, tamales and nougats.Indigenous women from the Mayorunas,Chayuhuitas, Campas, Huitotos Shipibos,Boras and Yaguas ethnic groups mix flourwith the oil of the Sacha Inchi to create arevitalizing and rejuvenating skin cream.Native Secoyas, Handosas, Amueshas,Cashibos, Dapanahuas and Boras eattoasted Sacha Inchi to regain strengthduring labour-intensive work. Rubbing theoil on to their bodies also helps to relievetheir rheumatic and muscle pain.

Many believe that Sacha Inchi oil issuperior to olive, sunflower, soybean, corn,palm and groundnut oils for domestic,industrial, cosmetic and medicinal uses.Sacha Inchi, a major source of Omega, a fattyacid essential for human life, containsOmega 3 (48 percent), Omega 6 (36 percent),Omega 9 (9 percent), protein (33 percent) andantioxidants (50 percent). Sacha Inchi isbelieved to boost energy, clear thebloodstream and help to transport nutrientsto cells.

Production begins after 6.5 months oftransplantation, with first-year yieldsaveraging from 0.7 to 2.0 tonnes/ha. SachaInchi can be cultivated with cover crops,reaching ages of up to ten years. Forexample, Puerto Inca had an increase inproduction from 1 200kg/ha/year to 5 000kg/ha/year with a value of US$10 062.50 ha/year.

Sacha Inchi oil has won the Seed Oils ofthe World contest held in Paris in both 2004and 2006 along with two other awards fortechnological innovation in its extraction. Italso shows great potential for the productionof biodiesel.

Sacha Inchi oil is used widely in thecountries to which it has been exported, andis becoming better known and appreciated inPeru. Now it is found in major supermarketchains and other shops in Lima in addition toclinics and homeopathic stores.

Given the importance of this crop, it is vitalto conduct further research in agriculturalmanagement, genetic improvement,integrated pest management, disease and

agroindustry, so that improved varieties maybe obtained to compete better in both thedomestic and international oil industrymarkets. (Contributed by: Joe Sixto SaldañaRojas, Cooperación para el Desarrollo de la Amazonía (CODEA), Calle César Calvo de Araujo 2035, Iquitos, Peru. E-mail: [email protected] [email protected])

SHEA BUTTER

Le karité, l’or des femmes

Beurre aux nombreuses vertus, surnommé«l’or des femmes», le karité est un secret debeauté que les femmes africaines setransmettent depuis des millénaires.Aujourd’hui, avec le développement ducommerce équitable et du bio, il est devenula nouvelle coqueluche de l’industriecosmétique.

Grand héritage de l’Afrique, l’arbre à karitépousse à l’état sauvage essentiellement dansles régions boisées d’Afrique de l’Ouest etCentrale. Sa longévité qui peut atteindre 300ans et sa taille de plus de 15 mètres en fontun arbre majestueusement prolifique.

La fabrication artisanale du beurre dekarité est une affaire de femmes avant tout;elles se regroupent pour les récoltes de lami-juin à la mi-septembre. Il faut savoir quepour obtenir 20 kg de beurre de karité100 kgd’amandes sont nécessaires. De cetterécolte naît un échange commercial entre lesfemmes des groupements et certainesmarques de cosmétiques.

Chaque opération est réalisée avec soinen respectant la qualité et la nature duproduit; de ce fait, chaque principe actif resteintact. On prend l’amande qui se trouve àl’intérieur de la noix que l’on fait sécher,concasser, torréfier et enfin moudre. Lapoudre est ensuite pilée et l’on obtient alorsune pâte que l’on mélange à de l’eaubouillante. Il en ressort à la surface toutel’huile et les impuretés sont déposées aufond de la cuve. On retire cette huile que l’onfait cuire. Une fois solidifiée, elle deviendra lefameux beurre de karité que l’on vénère tant.

Adulé pour ses vertus protectrices etadoucissantes, le beurre de karité est leremède à toute peau en mal d’hydratation etde luminosité. Les cosmétologues l’ont biencompris en le déclinant à la perfection encrème pour le corps, shampoing, baumepour les lèvres, etc.

Bien qu’il soit utilisé pour la peau, lescheveux ou dans l’alimentation en tant quesubstitut du beurre de cacao, le karité n’en

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SHEA 2009: OPTIMIZING THE GLOBAL VALUE CHAIN

An international meeting on shea butterShea 2009: Optimizing the Global ValueChain will take place in Ouagadougou,Burkina Faso from 25 to 27 March 2009.(Please see page 62 for moreinformation.)



35

of illegal trading is occurring, especially as aresult of the long borders the country shareswith China and India.

Despite apparent efforts to cultivate R.serpentina commercially in India and Nepal,little evidence proves that this cultivation issatisfying a significant portion of internal andinternational demand for the species. As thestatus of R. serpentina remains in question,urgent action is required to clarify the sourceand quantity of traded specimens at all levelsand to develop and enforce measures toensure that wild harvests and trade aremaintained within sustainable levels.(Source: T. Mulliken & P. Crofton. 2008.Review of the status, harvest, trade andmanagement of seven Asian CITES-listedmedicinal and aromatic plant species. Bonn,Germany, Bundesamt für Naturschutz.)

STEVIA

FDA may approve stevia-based sweeteners

Chicago. The United States Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) may approve zero-calorie sweeteners derived from a shrubcalled stevia (Stevia rebaudiana), analysts say.

Major beverage companies – PepsiCo Inc.and Coca-Cola Co. – want to market stevia-sweetened products once the sweetener getsapproval, the Chicago Tribune said.Agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. already has astevia-based sweetener in grocery storesand Chicago-based Merisant Co., maker ofthe popular sweetener Equal, will soon dothe same, the newspaper said.

But some public watchdogs, including theCenter for Science in the Public Interest, areraising concerns about potential cancer-causing properties of stevia. The centre isurging the FDA to do more testing beforegranting approval, the Chicago Tribune stated.

Native to South America and alreadyused as a sweetener there, Japandeveloped stevia-based sweeteners severaldecades ago and Australia has recently

information packaged to enhance ruraldevelopment implementation of CommunityAction Plans (CAPs)”, said Mr Komatsubara.

Mrs Christy Ahenkora-Banya, head of theSRLP unit of UNDP, Ghana, said the projectwould identify the marketable quality of sheabutter and set up the ideal productionenvironment for local women’s producergroups. It would explore new markets forshea butter sales promotion, providebusiness management skills for localwomen’s producer groups and transmitproduction skills among local womenprocessors.

The ultimate goal is to empower women innorthern Ghana and alleviate their acutepoverty through enhancing the viability of thelocal shea butter industry as sustainablebusiness.

The Africa 2000 Network, theimplementing partner, would be responsiblefor the transmission of skills and knowledgein shea butter production among localprocessors when the project is implemented.(Source: Modern Ghana [Ghana], 16 August2008.)

SNAKEROOT (RAUVOLFIASERPENTINA)

Snakeroot endangered across Asia

Like other wild plant species, snakeroot orRauvolfia serpentina, is an importantmedicinal tool for many people in the Asiaregion. In India, R. serpentina has been usedfor centuries to treat anxiety, psychosis,schizophrenia, insomnia and epilepsy. InNepal, R. serpentina is valued for its curativepowers against hypertension, depression,memory loss and other mental and physicaldisorders. R. serpentina is also used as atraditional medicine in China, Bangladesh,Myanmar and Thailand.

Various publications and reportscontradict one another regarding theharvesting quantities and market sizes of R.serpentina, yet its use in pharmaceuticals,largely in the Chinese medicine sector, hasconsiderably increased since the 1950s. R.serpentina is now recognized as endangeredin several countries across the region suchas India, Bangladesh and Viet Nam. Yet littleinformation is available regarding its statusin range countries, most crucially thosebelieved to be involved in the internationaltrade of the species, including Thailand andMyanmar where R. serpentina is considered“vulnerable”. Furthermore, CITES authoritiesin Myanmar believe that a significant amount

approved it. Stevia sweeteners are stillbanned in much of Europe.

As a sweetener, stevia developed anunpleasant liquorice taste that researchershave had trouble erasing, the ChicagoTribune said. (Source: United PressInternational [United States of America], 30November 2008.)

Finlays Kenya in stevia venture

Outgrowers are set to benefit from a move byprivate agricultural firm Finlays Kenya togrow 5 000 ha of stevia whose sap is used formedicinal and food flavouring.

Finlays is embarking on the project inpartnership with PureCircle – a Malaysiansweeteners production firm – which will injectKSh1.2 billion (US$20 million) into the jointventure. Finlays will also be refining theextract derived from stevia and has plans toput up an extraction plant. The projectprovides a diversification opportunity forKenyan farmers reeling from declining yieldsand earnings under monoculture cash cropsystems and rising costs of inputs such asfertilizers.

The company intends to grow stevia withinits own estates first and then roll it out to thesmallholder sector, once it has the technicalexpertise. Finlays expects the project to“create several hundred high-end jobs”.

The joint venture with PureCircle – whichhas most of its production activities in Chinaand Malaysia but incorporated in Bermuda –goes by the name JVCo. It will be majority-owned by PureCircle but the local firm hasthe option to hold the majority of 51 percent inthe coming years.

PureCircle’s main concern is stevia, a non-caloric herb native to Paraguay that has beenused as a sweetener and flavour enhancer forcenturies. Demand for the commodity isrising because of its natural sweetenerqualities as opposed to its synthetic rivals. Anextract from the stevia leaf, using a patent-protected process, is over 100 times sweeterthan sugar.

Of the US$20 million that PureCircle isputting in Kenya, an estimated US$15 millionhas been allocated to the crude steviaextraction plant, and the balance to theplantations and associated working capital.The joint venture will own both the steviaplantations and the extraction plant.PureCircle will have exclusive rights toacquire all stevia extracts and, or, dry stevialeaves produced by JVCo for a period of sevenyears with renewable options thereafter.(Source: Business Daily Africa [Kenya], 23July 2008.)

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%Rauvolfia serpentina



36

TRUFFLES

Endangered truffles set to be reared in test

tubes

French scientists will try to create blacktruffles in test tubes in an attempt to revivean increasingly endangered industry. TheFrench region of Corrèze is to sign an accordwith key organizations in the industry tounlock the secrets of the Périgourd truffle.

Known to connoisseurs as “blackdiamonds”, truffles, which are usually foundgrowing on the roots of trees, can sell for upto £860/kg. France produced 1 000 tonnes ofPérigourd truffles a year at the start of thelast century, but production has fallen to40–50 tonnes a year.

In the three-year project, scientists willculture cloned truffles with baby trees in testtubes. Once established, tree and truffle willbe planted and allowed to mature naturally.The researchers hope to establish whichaspects of the environment are linked totruffle growth. (Source: The Times Online,[United Kingdom], 4 December 2008.)

Australian truffle industry set for rapid growth

Australian truffle production could grow toten times its current level by 2013, butmarket development and further researchwill be needed to ensure the industry has along-term future. These are some of theconclusions of a stocktake of the industrypresented by the Rural Industries Researchand Development Corporation (RIRDC) at ameeting of the Australian Truffle GrowersAssociation in Victoria.

Research established that production islikely to grow from 800 kg in 2007 (currentlyworth A$1.6 million) to between five and tentonnes in 2013 from existing truffières alone.

The size of mature truffière land isexpected to increase from 250 to 600 ha in thesame time frame at an average growth rate ofover 20 percent/year. (Source: AustralianFood, Melbourne [Australia], 28 July 2008.)

Soggy summer yields bumper British truffle

harvest

Our long lamented soggy summer is cause forcelebration in some circles. Those in the trufflebusiness cannot believe their luck. This year’swet weather has produced a bumper crop.

Truffle harvests have doubled year by yearsince 2005 thanks to our rainy summers andexperts believe this year’s harvest will beeven bigger. Nigel Hadden-Paton, who runsTruffle UK Ltd, Britain’s first commercialtruffle-growing company, said: “The wetweather has been a godsend for us, and it’s

very nearly time to harvest our native Britishsummer truffle. The ones we have seen sofar this year bubbling to the surface arelooking bigger and they are in greaternumber. We harvested 77–88 lbs in 2005,176 lbs in 2006 and an amazing 396 lbs in2007 but we expect to exceed that this year.”

Truffles can command prices of up to £2 500/kg for the most highly prizedspecimens. (Source: Daily Mail [UnitedKingdom], 10 September 2008.)

Italian truffle fetches US$200 000 at Macau

auction

Rome. Defying the economic downturn, anItalian white truffle weighing just over 1 kgsold at an international auction on Saturdayfor US$200 000. The prized tuber went forthe second year running to Hong Kong-borncasino mogul Stanley Ho after an auctionheld simultaneously in Rome, London, AbuDhabi and Macau. Last December, Hobought a 1.5-kg specimen – one of thebiggest truffles unearthed in half a century –for a record US$330 000.

The 1.08-kg truffle – the biggest found inItaly this year – was picked in November inthe central Molise region.

Output of white truffles – which are notcultivated and only grow naturally in forests –has fallen in Italy over the past few years,largely because climate change has broughta damaging mix of drought and torrentialrains. Scarce supply has pushed prices fornormal-sized truffles above €4 000/kg.(Source: Reuters [United States of America],29 November 2008.)

The Libyan truffle, fruit of the desert

In some Arab countries, the truffle is known asthe earth tree or the earth egg. It is also knownas the thunder daughter. Truffle fungus growsin lime land near some desert plants forming asymbiotic association, i.e. a mutually beneficialrelationship between them. It grows by itselfwith no interference, whenever the conditionsare suitable for its growth. These conditionsconsist of a sufficient humidity and a unionbetween the air and lightning; these elementsfall down with raindrops and penetrate the soilto make truffles grow.

Truffles grow in spring when the soil issaturated with water. There are several typesof truffles, e.g. the desert truffle and theEuropean truffle. However, the desert trufflehas a highly nutritional value and grows only inarid regions; it differs from the type that growsin European forests. There are many varietiesof desert truffles, including Zobeidi, Khalasi,Jobi and Hober.

Truffles have a highly nutritional valuethanks to their minerals, notably iron,proteins, and amino acids, minerals that thebody needs and cannot generate. In addition tothis, truffles are easily digested.

The Libyan truffle, found in deserts, is oneof the best known worldwide. The Al-HamadaAl-Hamra region is considered to be one of thelargest regions producing this truffle.

Truffles have been known in the LibyanArab Jamahiriya since the Roman era, as theywere the favourite food of the upper class.Unlike most city people, desert inhabitantsknow all about truffles and how to extractthem from the soil.

Truffles have a lot of benefits: according tomedical researchers they are used in treatingtrachoma, a disease infecting the eye, and canalso increase fecundity in both men andwomen. Because of these benefits, the bestvarieties of truffle are expensive. The price ofsome varieties may reach €2 500/kg or moreon the market.

The customary variety of this fungus is soldin domestic markets, whereas the averageand excellent varieties are exported to the Gulfand to European countries.

Some attempts to cultivate the deserttruffle, which grows abundantly in NorthAfrica, have been made recently in Finland bythe Libyan doctor and specialist, Salem ElShamkh. He succeeded in producing high-quality truffles in a short period of time.

The experiment concludes thatestablishing truffle farms in North Africa ispossible provided that there is a correctscientific basis. Accordingly, a good andabundant production can be obtained with aproduction of approximately 200tonnes/ha/year. The strange fungus mighthave a high economic value in the near futureand could, one day, become a source ofrevenue. (Source: Alarab online [UnitedKingdom], 31 July 2008.) �

Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in theworld. It beats money, power andinfluence.

Henry Chester

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