Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Baobab And Botanical Remedies


Baobab has been traditionally used against diarrhea, scurvy, cough, dysentery, small pox and measles. Several scientific studies have been performed such as on its anti-diarrheic properties demonstrating its anti-inflammatory, analgesic (pain killing) and anti-pyretic (temperature reducing) properties its effect against sickle cell anemia.

World-wide, the total turnover of botanical remedies and dietary supplements increased sharply, especially in the 90s, and almost doubled, from U.S. $12.4 billion in 1994 to U.S. $20.3 billion in 2003.

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Baobab tree is possibly older than the Giza Pyramids


Carbon dating has been used to estimate the Big Baobab’s age at ± 6000 years. To put this in perspective the tree is possibly older than the Giza Pyramids and was certainly here thousands of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. When the first leaves sprouted the Sahara Desert was still lush and green and our Iron Age ancestors were roaming the land.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Baobab superfruit ruling in Brussels spells sweet news for African growers


Fruit from the baobab tree can be used in food products in Britain for the first time after a decision by the European Commission. The fruit will be used in cereal bars and smoothie drinks.

The pulp of baobab fruit is said to contain up to three times more vitamin C than oranges. PhytoTrade Africa, a not-for-profit organisation, which submitted the application to the EU, believes that the ruling will provide a new source of income for 2.5 million of the poorest families in southern Africa, who will be paid to harvest wild baobab (Adansonia digitata).

Baobab Leaf Extract


Baobab Leaf Extract
For Cosmetics Formulations
Contains alpha and beta carotenes, calcium, mucilage, rubbers, uronic acid, ramnose, acid glutamic, tannins, vitamin C.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Baobab Bucks the Economic Downturn


Despite the world economic downturns in recent months the specialty Super Food business has been a bright spot. While literally hundreds of businesses in many categories are facing poor sales, negative balance sheets and even bankruptcy, Super Food consumption continue to show strong growth. The Super Food craze is gaining momentum around the globe. This industry has exploded in both Europe and the U.S. and has experienced phenomenal growth and success.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

How Baobab Fits the European Consumer’s Trends 2


In the medical field, there is also a growing demand for natural healthcare products. According to a long-term study performed by the Allensbacher Institut in Germany, the number of consumers who prefers natural healthcare products has increased from 52% in 1970 to 73% in 2002.

Cosmetic products, which contain ingredients aimed at beauty enhancement and skin health, are called cosmeceuticals. This market segment is reporting strong growth. Due to the ever-increasing age of the population, anti-aging creams are in great demand. Here, the antioxidant effect of baobab can be successfully used.

There is a general trend toward a healthier lifestyle. This is the primary reason that consumers search for organically certified products. In 2004, the market for organically certified products grew in Great Britain and Germany by more than 10% (Biofach, 2005). Ethical reasons are also being considered by a growing section of consumers. Fair trade aspects play an increasingly important role in shopping decisions.

Some consumers prefer organic products, because the production process is more environmentally friendly. In a survey of German healthcare product consumers, a great majority stated they were prepared to pay up to 10% more for products that cater to ecological and social issues (Galizia, Schade, Barsch, 2004).

Due to its nutritional and health claims, baobab fruit is an ideal additive for food drink and cosmetic manufacturers in Europe.

The Sacred Baobab Tree


The Sacred Baobab Tree

Griot are keepers of the oral tradition. They are singers who chant praises to Senegalese families in times of celebration. The trade is one passed on from father to father, from generation to generation since as long as people can remember.

A family generally has its very own griot, which they support financial, in exchange for a recounting of their great grandparents, grandparents and parents' family stories. The stories of course, are generally always positive, or if exposing a certain ancestor's failings, quite humorous and harmless. Though the trade is considered lowly, their role is essential because they are Senegal living historians. They are found in every ethnic group in Senegal except for the Diolas.

Griots have never worked the soil and, as a result, cannot be buried in the ground. It is said that if a griot should be ever buried in the land, a terrible drought will develop.

They are buried within Baobab trees. Baobab trees are considered useless trees, owing to the fact that their bark cannot be used to make furniture. The fruit it bears, the Pin de Singe, is used to make Bouie, a concoction that when mixed with hot water, is good for diarrhea. A baobab tree can also harbor honey in its highest branches. The tree is very common in Senegal and part of the reason is that it is not cut down for resources.

Feeling that they deserved a proper burial, griots have fought to be buried alongside their brothers in the soil. President Senghor passed a law allowing this, thereby outlawing any burials within Baobab trees. The same year the law was passed, there was a severe drought.

The Sacred Baobab Tree 2


The Sacred Baobab Tree

Griot are keepers of the oral tradition. They are singers who chant praises to Senegalese families in times of celebration. The trade is one passed on from father to father, from generation to generation since as long as people can remember.

A family generally has its very own griot, which they support financial, in exchange for a recounting of their great grandparents, grandparents and parents' family stories. The stories of course, are generally always positive, or if exposing a certain ancestor's failings, quite humorous and harmless. Though the trade is considered lowly, their role is essential because they are Senegal living historians. They are found in every ethnic group in Senegal except for the Diolas.

Griots have never worked the soil and, as a result, cannot be buried in the ground. It is said that if a griot should be ever buried in the land, a terrible drought will develop.

They are buried within Baobab trees. Baobab trees are considered useless trees, owing to the fact that their bark cannot be used to make furniture. The fruit it bears, the Pin de Singe, is used to make Bouie, a concoction that when mixed with hot water, is good for diarrhea. A baobab tree can also harbor honey in its highest branches. The tree is very common in Senegal and part of the reason is that it is not cut down for resources.

Feeling that they deserved a proper burial, griots have fought to be buried alongside their brothers in the soil. President Senghor passed a law allowing this, thereby outlawing any burials within Baobab trees. The same year the law was passed, there was a severe drought.

Legends of the Mighty Tree of Life


The importance and uniqueness of baobabs to the communities living in barren areas has guaranteed them a major role in the world of myths and legends. Just outside Morondava, on the west coast of Madagascar, an enormous specimen called 'the sacred baobab' is believed to have sprouted on the exact spot where a princess died about 800 years ago. It is now surrounded by dense growth and only its crown is visible above the thicket.

A little further up the coast, two baobabs nicknamed 'the lovers' are entwined around each other in an embrace that has lasted over 600 years.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

How Baobab Fits the European Consumer’s Trends 1


Because of the increasing number of single households, and the fact that not only men, but also working women in the EU spend less time at home, full meals are prepared much less often. In this scenario, modern consumers are not limited to the three traditional meal times, breakfast, lunch and dinner, instead they nibble between meals.

Small between-meal-snacks are popular and there is an increasing demand for convenience food, which is food already prepared or semi-prepared for the consumer. This eating pattern rarely gives a balanced diet, containing all the important nutrients. One answer to this problem is the addition of functional foods like baobab with the goal of promoting good health and compensating for nutritional deficiencies.

In recent years, the interest in probiotic, prebiotic and symbiotic functional foods has grown enormously. Probiotic products are living microbial food supplements, which beneficially affect the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance. The soluble fibers of baobab fruit pulp are prebiotic and probiotic: non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of beneficial micro flora (Gipson and Roberfroid, 1995).

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Baobab And Quality Control


Wild Harvest Baobab powder adheres to the highest quality control system to process, treat, pack and transport our product. Our international certification credentials will include:
● GACP certification by World Health Organization (WHO)
● International Organization for Standardization (ISO 9000)
● Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)
● Wild-crafted Organic Certification

Legends Of The Tree Of Life 2


According to African legend, the Baobab wanted to become the most beautiful tree of all. When it realized that this was not possible, it put his head into the ground, so only the roots pointed heavenward. Today the tree with the root-like branch structure has become characteristic of the African grasslands.

Another legend holds that when the Baobab was planted by God, it kept walking, so God pulled it up and replanted it upside down to stop it moving.

The Creator is said to have initially planted the baobab in the rainforests of the Congo Basin, but the tree complained that the dampness made its trunk swell. So the Creator moved it to the high slopes of the Ruwenzori range, East Africa's Mountains of the Moon. But the baobab continued to grumble about the humidity. Angered by the incessant wailing, the Creator took the swollen trunk and tossed it into a dry part of Africa. The tree landed upside down with its roots in the air.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Baobab: Sustainable and in-demand


After gaining novel foods approval in the EU, baobab is tipped to become a billion dollar industry. Stephen Daniells speaks to William Smith from Afriplex to find out what foods baobab fruit pulp is turning up in, and whether supply can match the demand.

Follow the link to listen to this excitiing pod cast

Saturday, April 18, 2009

U.K. Consumers Spend £69.4 million On Smoothies


The UK, together with Germany, has the highest spending functional food consumers in Europe (spending nearly € 175 per person annually). Another important health claim for functional food is anti-oxidation.

According to a survey, 73% of the German public would buy enriched foods and drinks with anti-oxidation properties (Anonymous, 2004). In Europe, the concept of smoothies first became popular in UK, where this market was estimated to be 18.7 million liters by volume and £69.4 million retail value in 2003.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Baobab Relieves PMS


Baobab as a Super Food contains Omega 6 which helps relieve bloating and pain related to PMS. It also maintains healthy skin, hair and nails.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 interact with each other so the balance between them is crucial for good health. Together they affect the production of hormonal type messengers called eicosanoids, which has an impact on inflammation in the body and all functions at a cellular level.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Baobab Applications for the Cosmeceutical Industry


A current trend in cosmetics is toward health and wellness products, consumers are prepared to pay more for cosmetic products with health claims. Substances that are added to health food and botanical remedies are also often used as additives in the cosmetic sector.
Cosmetic products that carry health claims are called cosmeceuticals. The baobab, because of its antioxidant effect, is a good raw material for cosmeceuticals to inhibit age related conditions.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Baobab as a Natural Medicine


Hyposensitive and antihistamine properties are present in the leaves, which are used to treat kidney and bladder diseases, asthma, general fatigue, diarrhoea, insect bites, and guinea worm. Leaf and flower infusions are valued for respiratory problems, digestive disorders and eye inflammation. The seed paste is used for curing tooth and gum diseases. The fruit pulp, seed and bark are reputedly an antidote to Strophanthus poisoning. Gum from the bark is used for cleansing sores. It is also used as an expectorant and a diaphoretic. The bark is used in steam baths for calming shivering and high fever. A decoction of the roots is taken as a remedy for lassitude impotence.
The bark is boiled and taken as a cure for body pains. This infusion is also used to treat colds, fever and influenza. Seeds are used to cure gastric, kidney and joint diseases; they are roasted then ground and the powder smeared on the affected part or drunk in water.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Baobab Benefits Pregnant And Nursing Mothers


Baobab as a Super Food contains Omega 3 which is necessary for the efficient functioning of the brain and body at the cellular level. Good for pregnant and nursing mothers and vital for young children towards healthy development.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Baobab Nutritional Values


50% more calcium than spinach
Carbohydrate
Vitamin B 1.26-0.5mg/100g
Vitamin B 2
Vitamin B 6
Vitamin A C D and E
Iron 0.9-2.3mg/100g
Protein 1.8-2.8%
Fat 0.5-0.6%
Potassium 2.31 mg/100g
Phosphorus 96-118/100g
Crude Fiber 12%
Citric acid 215mg/100g
Tartaric acid 215mg/100g
Malice acid 215mg/100g
Succinct acid 215mg/100g
Ascorbic acid 166-215mg/100g
A-linoleic acid 27 µg
Soluble pectin’s 23.4 to 33.8 g/100g
Febrifuge (anti- pyretic) properties
Zinc-magnesium
Omega Energy 1351-1454kJ/100g

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Baobab as a base ingredient for the medical industry


Here is a list of the multi-purpose use for Baobab as a base ingredient for the Medicinal industry.

In traditional pharmacopoeia the seeds and leaves are anti-microbial against: Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia-coli, mycobacterium leprae, and anti-fungal against penicillium crusto-sum, candida albicans, and saccharomyces cerevisiae. Leaf infusions are used as treatment for diarrhea, fever, inflammation, kidney and bladder diseases, blood clearing and asthma.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Baobab as a base ingredient for the nutraceutical industry.


Here is a list of the multi-purpose use for Baobab as a base ingredient for the nutraceutical industry.

Nutraceuticals: Soups, herbal tea, infusions, condiments

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Wild Harvest Fair Trade


Wild Harvest is a fair trade company that supplies certified organic wild harvested Baobab powder to manufacturers of finished products within the following market sectors:
Food and beverages
Pharmaceuticals Nutraceuticals Nutritional supplements
Botanical remedies
Natural cosmetics Veterinary products

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Baobab The Ginseng of Africa


The baobab fruit has three times as much vitamin C as oranges, 50% more calcium than spinach and is a plentiful source of anti-oxidants, those disease-fighting molecules credited with helping reduce the risk of everything from cancer to heart disease.

Until recently, this super-fruit was off limits to European consumers, but now the baobab fruit has won approval from EU food regulators creating a ground floor opportunity.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Baobab super fruit breaks through to UK



British chefs should start thinking about recipes that make use of the African baobab fruit, after the European Commission gave the green light on the use of its pulp in the UK.

The powdery pulp of the fruit, which is famously used to make the liqueur Amarula, is nutritionally high in vitamin C, calcium, iron and antioxidants, which makes it perfect for use in smoothies, cereal bars, jams and as a fruit filling.

Africans have long used the fruit pulp as a traditional food for pregnant women and children, due to its nutritious content, and is mixed with water to make refreshing drinks and as a baking ingredient.

The pulp by itself is somewhat unappetising, being likened to the texture of sherbet and with a bland taste, although baobab jam is supposedly strikingly similar to honey, with a tart, tangy sensation.

Phytotrade Africa, the company responsible for importing the baobab, claim the harvesting of the fruit could be an industry worth up to $1bn US.

Cyril Lombard, Market Development Manager of PhytoTrade Africa said: “Approval for Baobab is fantastic news for Africa. Opening up the European market to this product will make a real difference to poor rural communities there, offering them a potentially life-changing source of income.’

The baobab pulp is expected to reach the UK in a few months.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Africa's "superfruit" arrives in the west


Africa's "superfruit" arrives in the west: the growing trend for healthy, nature-based products in the developed world, and the more wealthy developing nations as well, is creating a potentially massive demand for some of Africa's traditional health-giving produce. Tom Nevin reports.

Natural products--food, cosmetics or alternative medicines--are becoming increasingly popular with a new generation of health-conscious consumers. These products most often draw on the traditional knowledge of communities in Africa and more than ever are finding lucrative markets in such developed economies as the US, Europe and the Far East.

One of the most exciting of these new generation products is the fruit of the humble boabab tree which grows practially everywhere in Africa. The EU has now given qualified approval for the fruit to be distributed and sold all over Europe, thus opening up a potentially vast market for small-scale African producers to exploit. "This is certainly good news for Africa," says Cyril Lombard, PhytoTrade Africa's marketing manager, "because it demonstrates the huge potential for Africa-wide supply of baobab."

PhytoTrade Africa was set up with the support of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialised agency of the UN that helps micro-producers understand and exploit the value of their natural products and the new interest they are generating. This allows them to promote beyond their region and gain access to new markets.

In terms of commercial scope, the natural product market is already a big business. Global sales for herbal remedies alone are expected to reach $40bn by 2010, and Africa is widely seen as the last untapped source for such remedies.

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"Communities in many African countries traditionally use natural remedies made from indigenous seeds and plants to cure ailments, and they have handed down their knowledge from generation to generation," says Lombard. "For example, harvesting nuts and seeds is a traditional activity across the continent and an important supplement to incomes in areas of low productivity, especially for women. But until now, ancestral remedies have been available only in local markets."

Nutraceutical industry

PhytoTrade Africa is the commercial name used by the Southern African Natural Products Trade Association. The membership-based organisation was established in 2001 with the support of a $1.5m technical assistance grant.

"The global market for cosmetics and nutraceuticals based on natural products is growing rapidly," reports Lombard. "PhytoTrade Africa works to create economic opportunities for poor rural communities in dry and marginal areas by linking them to markets for their plant products.

"It works mainly with women, who harvest natural products such as wild fruit and seeds from common woodlands. Most of the association's members are small-scale entrepreneurs and civil society organisations involved in transporting and processing the products and, increasingly, in exporting them."

PhytoTrade is officially registered in Johannesburg, representing members from small farming communities, local associations and institutes in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The association has recently opened a marketing office in London. "The work of PhytoTrade Africa focuses on building value chains that connect harvesters with markets, and on supporting and linking up market players along the value chain," explains Lombard.

"In 2006, almost 30,000 rural harvesters--over 90% of them women--sold raw or value-added plant materials to PhytoTrade Africa members for a total value of $384,000, making a small but important contribution to building the economic livelihoods of some of the poorest people in the region."

Who are the members of PhytoTrade Africa? "Its members are drawn from a wide spectrum of players in the natural products industry," says the organisation. "Its primary constituency is poor rural producers, but its members also include NGOs, the private sector, researchers, government departments and interested individuals.

"In joining PhytoTrade, each member has to formally sign the Association's constitution, binding them to the fundamental objective: To enable poor rural communities in the Southern African region to generate income through the sustainable utilisation of natural products."

The new "superfruit"

PhytoTrade Africa expects huge markets for the baobab, Africa's strangest-looking tree, to open up, now that the EU has approved the entrance of baobab fruit pulp into the European market. Pulp from baobab fruit is used in healthy cereal bars and drinks, mainly because its vitamin C content is nearly six times greater than that of an orange. The baobab tree, best known for a thick trunk that can reach a circumference of 25 metres, is also renowned in Africa for its many nutritional and medicinal properties and its many uses for beverages, food and oil. The bark of the tree is already being sold in Europe under the name cortex cael cedra, used to treat fever. Some of PhytoTrade Africa's partners are interested in the tree's properties. The French company Aldivia is one of a number of enterprises specialising in supplying refined base oils to the cosmetics industry. "Aldivia is investing in research to develop a baobab pulp oil suitable for the cosmetics industry," says Lombard.

The baobab's remarkable properties hit the headlines last year when it was described as "a new superfruit", following its approval by the EU in the Novel Foods category. Suddenly, producers and businesses from all over Africa wanted in on the baobab trade.

He also sounds a note of caution. "The market for baobab fruit products is currently embryonic and we're at the start of a long process to develop this industry, both from a supply chain and technical perspective.

"Also, the conditions of the Novel Foods approval mean that the market in the EU for baobab fruit products will be exclusively for members of PhytoTrade Africa. In addition, the specifications are very tight and need to be complied with in order to protect the European consumer.

"PhytoTrade will monitor the market and, in time, may be able to offer producers in non-PhytoTrade countries opportunities, if the market demands it."

The organisation also promotes marula oil, regarded as the new miracle oil in cosmetics because of its nourishing and moisturising properties. It is already commercialised as an ingredient at the Body Shop, one of the first cosmetics companies to use natural ingredients in its range of products. "All the lipsticks sold by the Body Shop use marula oil as a base ingredient," says Lombard.

Marula oil is extracted from the kernel of the fruit of the marula tree, a towering 18m savanna giant. Traditionally it is used to preserve meat, to protect leather clothing and to treat and rehydrate skin and hair. The bark is said to be effective against diarrhoea, dysentery, fever and malaria, and the fruit is used to make jam and beer.

Other products promoted by PhytoTrade Africa include the Kalahari melon, whose seeds are also used in cosmetics, and the products of the kigelia tree, which is common throughout Africa and whose oil and seeds have long been known for their dietary and medicinal properties, particularly in treating skin ailments. PhytoTrade Africa and its partners are also undertaking research into the use of mongongo oil, extracted from mongongo nuts, a staple food of the bushmen of Botswana and Namibia. They are also considering the use of the mobula plum, trichilia tree and ximenia fruit in health food and cosmetics.

"Products bearing the PhytoTrade label must ensure respect for biodiversity and environmental sustainability and come with a biodiversity certificate," says Lombard. "To guarantee this condition, the association has been working with partners, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to create an international organic classification for the products, along the lines of the Fair Trade label."

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Baobab - African superfruit heads for Europe


Summary:
In July 2008, the EU gave baobab fruit Novel Foods approval, legalising its use as a food ingredient for European manufacturers. Baobab fruit pulp is rich in vitamin C, calcium, potassium and phosphorus, and is pro-biotic, stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. As such, it has enormous potential as an ingredient in healthy foods and snacks, and dozens of companies are now conducting product development. So does this mean that baobab harvesters can expect to earn an income from their fruit, and what about risks to sustainability? Dr Nonto Nemarundwe of PhytoTrade Africa offers some answers.


The baobab is probably Africa's best known tree, and one of the most widely distributed trees on the continent. For generations, people have harvested the fruit, to enjoy the tangy pulp that surrounds the seeds. It's also been used locally as a treatment for stomach problems and fever.

In 2008, European lawmakers gave baobab a Novel Foods approval, legalising the import of baobab pulp into Europe as a food ingredient. This resulted from an appeal by PhytoTrade Africa, a non-profit making association committed to promoting African natural products.

So what are the implications for baobab harvesters? Can they expect to earn some income from this new European market? To find out, Sylvia Khumalo spoke to Dr Nonto Nemarundwe, of PhytoTrade Africa's Harare office.

Nonto
This is really exciting news for our farmers, because it means the market potential for baobab products will increase, and it also means more supplementary incomes for them. We are also, at the moment, talking to some large European food and beverage manufacturers, to see what kind of products they could develop that would use the baobab as an ingredient. Some of the products would be, like fruit smoothies, milk shakes or health bars. And also we are looking at having the baobab pulp being used in sports and nutritional drinks, and in some cases in flavouring breakfast cereals or flavouring biscuits and cakes. So really there is a huge potential now that we've been awarded this novel foods approval, to have more demand for the products.

Khumalo
And now, the service that primary producers get from PhytoTrade?
Nonto
As a trade association, most of the services, like the technical services, the training and capacity building that we do, is really directly to our members. But beyond the members we also have the rural producers, who are the harvesters of these natural products, who are directly involved with our members. So we encourage our members to also build capacity among the primary producers and share information that we generate. For instance, last year we did some case studies in Swaziland, Zambia and Namibia, where we were looking at impacts at community level. They have the resource which they have been using for subsistence, and this is an opportunity for them to also generate some income which they can use for investments.

Like for instance, in some of the case studies that we've done, we've found out that the money that people get from selling the natural products is not only used to buy food or pay school fees, cover basic needs. The rural communities are also using the money to invest in bigger projects, maybe start some small businesses, buy livestock which is a long term investment, and also, like the women have used the money to join some savings clubs which they couldn't join before, and through these savings and credit schemes they are now able to access loans, which they can use to establish other enterprises.

So in a way, this is giving them an opportunity to earn income from a product that they were only using for subsistence. They still use the products for subsistence, but at the same time they are now getting additional benefits from the products.

Khumalo
Every excitement needs to be contained. What is PhytoTrade going to do to contain this excitement so that we avoid extinction of the species?

Nonto
Yes, you are right. There have been questions being raised on whether there could be some over-harvesting because of this excitement. The advantage with the kind of work we do at the moment is that really our focus is on what has traditionally been referred to as the non-timber-forest-products. It doesn't really have direct impact on the tree that is being harvested, because we are collecting the seed, so we are not really cutting the trees or anything.

But the question which has been raised is, in the long term, what impact does that have on regeneration, if we are using the seeds. So what we have done is we have established three case studies, to assess the environmental impacts of the use of the seeds that we use for the oils and also the pulp. So in the long term we also want to ensure that there is sustainability. Also, what our members have also done, they have also started some initiatives of tree planting, to ensure that in the long term we do have resource availability.

For instance, in Malawi they have some tree planting initiatives that they have started at the moment for baobab. It's a long term growing tree, it takes many years to grow, but I think these small steps would also contribute in the long term to the sustainability of the resource. And then in Mozambique we also have another member who has started some initiatives around carbon sequestration. So with all these initiatives, that are aimed at ensuring long term sustainability of the resource. And also this we are seeing is also contributing to biodiversity conservation in a way, because previously people didn't really care about the products.

Anyone could collect anywhere, any time, because it was just for subsistence; there was no market. Now that there is a market and people can realise some income from the products, we are seeing communities now guarding jealously against their trees, and they are managing them more. They are more conscious about ensuring there is good management of the trees.

So in a way it is also contributing to biodiversity. So the challenge of over-harvesting I think is something that at the moment people are really taking into consideration and ensuring that there is sustainable use of these resources.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Baobab, The New Super Fruit


Get ready for Baobab fever. And we’re not talking about these guys. No, baobab is the newest super fruit to hit our shores. Coffee berry, acai and goji are old news.

Billed as the king of the superfruits, here are its stats…
More than 10 times the antioxidant level of oranges. And six times more vitamin C.
More than twice the calcium level of milk.
Soluble fibre in fruit pulp has pre-biotic qualities and stimulates good bacteria in the gut.
High in potassium, important for brain, nerve and muscle function. And phosphorus, which helps bones.

Enjoy.

Baobab Leaves Micronised


Baobab Leaves Micronised

Facemask
For Cosmetics Formulation
whole leaves dried and micronised
Hydro- Dispersible

Baobab whole leaves dried and micronised. The product is Hydro-Dispersible. Recent studies have shown that the leaf of the Baobab have a marked antioxidant activity, both water-soluble and fat-soluble, preventing and combating the formation free radicals.