The Miracle Tree

Moringa leaves as a potential nutritional food supplement in Zambia

By Jacob Jepsen, Development Worker, Tree Africa, Zimbabwe

Adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is essential for preventing common micronutrient disorders such as vitamin A, iron and iodine deficiencies.

Malnutrition in Southern Africa is common, especially among orphans and under-five children. Uncertainty in rainfall and low adoption level of improved technologies in crop production and crop diversification has resulted in inadequate food and in the insurance of important nutrients. The social costs of under-nutrition/malnutrition are immense as they affect the country’s productivity, growth, work force, and the overall health status of the population.

The state of affairs is further exacerbated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, existing micro-nutrient deficiencies and the impact of HIV/AIDS can be dealt with most cheaply and sustainable through the improvement of community income, good nutrition and information.

Information on indigenous plants needed

Especially adequate information on the existence and uses of indigenous plants that provide these nutrients is needed to be made available to rural and urban households through better designed and implemented nutrition education and agricultural interventions. Being rich in micro nutrition, showing fast growth and being drought resistant, Moringa (Moringa oleifera) has been introduced to Southern Africa as the ‘Miracle Tree’.

Up through times, considerable investments have been made by governments and aid agencies in programmes designed to prevent malnutrition. Approaches have included school lunch programmes, nutrition education and campaigns to give children massive doses of vitamin A. A major drawback for many of these approaches is the dependence on imported solutions and outside personnel, resulting in quickly dissipate of progress once the programme funding dries up. The introduction of Moringa as a locally planted vegetable or shrub encourages the utilization of nutrient-rich plant as being cost-effective and a sustainable method of improving the nutritional status of local populations.

Nutritional food supplement

Since 2002, Tree Africa has been promoting the production of leaf powder from the Moringa tree as a nutritional food supplement. Tree Africa works closely with clinics, hospitals health oriented organisations and schools in the promotion and implementation of Moringa activities. Using clinics as an entry point to the communities has showed to be a very useful approach in order to monitor and promote the Moringa for the communities. Monitoring of correct information and quality of powder is needed. Consumption of Moringa leaf powder in Zimbabwe has developed a lot of interest from the public and the demand for the powder is very high. Besides the work on the Moringa tree on farm, Tree Africa is linked with universities in and out side Zimbabwe (India and Denmark) to share research experience and information. The aim for the Tree Africa programme is to encourage planting of trees in the region and to raise awareness on the importance of trees for our survival.

This year, Tree Africa has initiated baseline studies in Zambia (Copperbelt, Central, Lusaka and Southern provinces) on distribution of the Moringa tree. Moreover, identification of potential partners for future cooperation in promoting utilization of the Moringa tree as a nutritional food supplement has been undertaken.

Moringa oleifera grows throughout most of the tropics, and is native to sub-Himalayan.

The leaves from the Moringa tree are very rich sources of vitamin A and C, B-complex vitamins, iron, calcium and protein compared to most commonly consumed vegetables see figure 1. The leaves can either be eaten fresh or dried and grounded to a powder. The fresh leaves from the tree are commonly cooked and eaten like spinach or used to make soups and salads. The leave powder is used more like a spice added to relish and porridge just before serving. Also the green pods and seeds can be eaten. One rounded table spoon of leaf powder will satisfy about 14% of the protein, 40% of the calcium, 23% of the iron and all the vitamin A needs for a child aged one to three. Six rounded spoonfuls of leaf powder will satisfy nearly all of a woman’s daily iron and calcium needs during times of pregnancy and breast-feeding.

The Moringa tree is easy to propagate from seeds or cuttings. The tree is drought resistant and does well on poor, well drained soils with little rain. Moringa has a fast growth up to four metre the first year, and can easily be pruned. For leaf powder production it is preferable to grow the tree either as a single tree, pruned at a height of 1,5 metre or planted in a seedbed like a vegetable 10 by 10 cm and then cut /harvest when the seedlings reach 60 – 70 cm. Under optimum condition, Moringa leaves can be harvested after 3 months.