Tree of Life

The European Union approved the import of the baobab fruit from Africa. Utilizing the tree without harming it will provide a livelihood for thousands of Africans and encourage them to preserve these important trees

A long time ago (March 2005)  I wrote about the baobab tree And I listed his virtues and qualities. Back in brief: the tree that grows to huge dimensions serves as a source of food and hiding place for wild animals. In most African countries, the tree is sacred and attributed positive magical properties to it, therefore, even though all parts of the tree can be used, the inhabitants maintain its integrity and avoid harming it.

The uses are many. The (dried) fruits are used as coatings in fishing nets, hollows in the tree are used as warehouses, the bark of the trunk is used to weave ropes, the leaves are eaten as a salad, the fruit is used as an ingredient in medicines and as food extracts, the seeds are ground and eaten, oil extracted from the seeds is used for cooking and frying, and many other and varied uses.

Now the tree and its fruit are taking their important place in Europe as well, the Europeans have discovered the many benefits - the concentration of vitamins and antioxidants in the baobab fruit is higher than in many traditional food products. Africans are happy as it means a new luxury export industry. Exporting the baobab fruit is a sustainable use of a resource, meaning the most positive use that can be made of a natural resource.

To begin with, the export to Europe will be from Senegal, as in most African countries, the Senegalese also know and cherish the baobab and its fruit, so much so that they call it the "tree of life". Senegalese villagers used to sell the baobab fruit in local markets, now a huge market will open before them - the European market.

For three years there has been an attempt to market dried fruit by an Italian company, the (fresh) fruit was not allowed to be marketed until now. The European Union regulations require a marketing authorization for any fruit that was not marketed in 1997,

It has now been approved by the European Union for full marketing. The approval allows the marketing of the fruit in all 27 countries of the Union, an approval that opened up possibilities for the Africans to significantly improve their standard of living, clinics are built, children go to school, irrigation systems are installed in the fields, etc.

The new market causes an increased protection of the trees, since until now shepherds allowed their herds to eat young trees, now that the value of the fruits is high all the trees are protected by the residents.

According to an estimate, about 15.000 tons of fruit will be collected in Senegal alone, and this in the first year. A market and demand survey shows that the collection of the baobab fruit will generate an annual income of approximately 640 thousand euros.

According to the "Center for Unused Crops" at the University of Southampton, the baobab is the "fruit of the future", rich in vitamins C, B1, B2, rich in calcium (calcium) and antioxidants, (one fruit contains three times the calcium of a glass of milk, and vitamin C as in three oranges)

In Europe there will be many uses for the fruit. In the first phase, the fruit pulp will be an ingredient in "morning cereals", in healthy drinks, as an additive and stabilizer for sweets, healthy snacks and more. After the European food companies investigate and study the possibilities, Baobab is predicted to be a resounding success. And so in a short time we can chew a snack and sip a healthy drink that comes from the baobab tree.

The fact that the tree grows in nature without treatment and that the collection of the fruit does not harm the tree, makes its fruit one of the more positive products to be marketed from Africa to the Western market while promoting the African population.