- December 23, 2021
- Posted by: Terry Exports
- Category: Moringa, Moringa and Climate
Although we would like to believe that we’re not being a part of the problem but the reality is that all of us contribute to the warming of the planet in some way or the other. Don’t be discouraged now. Although we cannot give up our lifestyle you, as an individual, are able to take action.
Moringa as a Climate Change Mitigation Strategy?
For thousands of millions of citizens, the danger of famine is linked to changes in the climate. The tree planting, which includes the Moringa trees Moringa tree, may contribute to reducing the impact of climate change.
The impacts of climate changes make droughts more common instead of an exception. This pattern places those communities that are most at risk in an insecure position in providing for their basic food needs. At the point, that food insecurity and hunger get to “emergency” levels and warrant aid to communities, families agriculture practices, and even lands will be suffering greatly.
The Moringa tree may play an important part in fighting desertification
A major issue that is partially due to climate change is desertification. Because they grow quickly and are able to thrive in dry environments. They can play an important role in fighting desertification. The extended taproot creates Moringa resistance to prolonged periods of drought. Moringa is also able to grow in regions in which strong winds and prolonged dry spells are occurring in tandem, leading to severe erosion of the soil.
Importing nutritional supplements or vitamin bars isn’t an effective solution to the ongoing food shortages or for climate mitigation.
To determine what aid is durable in tackling food shortages and effective for the mitigation of climate changes, it’s important to consider the options that are accessible in third and developing world nations. Moringa is a simple and widely available solution.
For smallholder farmers who live in dry areas failure to harvest could result in months of malnutrition and difficulties. “Conventional” crops are often not indigenous and require costly inputs, extensive irrigation and land preparation to yield a profitable harvest. This means they are more susceptible to droughts. However, trees, on contrary, usually thrive when other crops do not succeed.
Study on Moringa’s Potentials for Climate Change Mitigation
“Climate-Smart” Agriculture and Moringa
Introduction
There was a time in the past when humans ate hundreds of thousands of different cereals, vegetables, etc. however today, we depend only on a few cups of cereal. In the midst of 10,000 years of advancing agriculture, seventy per cent of the world’s food production is derived from three grains — rice, wheat and corn and eighty per cent of our diet based on plants are derived from only twelve plants, eight grains and 4 tubers (Nierenberg 2011).
Industrialization, globalization, and intensification of agriculture have been blamed for this pattern which has us focusing on a tiny number of species that are a monoculture. This means that global agriculture relies too heavily on a handful of crops and requires the planting of many more crops in order to create an environment that is more resilient to food. The FAO says that the cultivation of crops is the main cause of 14 per cent of all global emissions of greenhouse gases.
Therefore, climate-friendly policies that focus on improving the conditions of farmers’ lives, as well as food security and access in addition to reducing emissions from greenhouse gas emissions, are the order of the moment.
Climate change, poverty and sustainable livelihoods
Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of 782 million across 47 countries, is where 36 of the least developed nations are. The majority of the estimated 33 million suffering from AIDS reside in sub-Saharan African countries which is the region that has the highest rate of malnutrition (Kennedy 2011,). Sub-Saharan Africa is the only major area in the world that hasn’t made significant improve its food security, despite generally stagnant levels of production per person since the past few decades (Spore 2011, 2011a).
Climate change is a new main concern, usually interfering with or exacerbating existing issues. Small-scale agriculturalists within West Africa are already producing less than their potential (Spore 2011, 2011b) and, since poverty is a reality of rural life in the region, it’s only agriculture that holds the answer to solving the issue. As climate change begins to take a firmer grip and the population of the world grows and markets fluctuate it is essential to figure out ways of avoiding the shocks that come with it, so as not to create a fragile situation that gets worse.
Cocoa, coffee, and tea are the three most popular drinks globally. Cocoa was introduced to West Africa about one hundred years ago. Now, there is an estimated 56 billion euro industry. In Ghana the cocoa industry alone is the largest crop, covering 1.8 million acres. But “by the year 2080, cocoa, which is Ghana’s main export crop, may cease to grow in the country as a result of climate changes” (George Gyan- Baffuor and all 2007).
According to research conducted by experts from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens published in PLoS the natural Arabica coffee plant which is the basis of the bushes found in coffee farms, may become extinct by 2080. In China tea plantations alone encompass 1.7 million acres (Shuangxu 2011) and provide the major source of income for around 80 million agriculturalists (Xiaojian 2011,).
It’s obvious that a large portion of this plant and the industry is in danger due to climate changes. The environmental consequences triggered by industrialization are impacting the sustainability of the current commercial activities, as well as degrading the life support systems of nature that humans and other species are dependent on. Climate change could cause severe harm to smallholder farmers who control the agricultural sector in Africa.
The effect of climate change can be felt at the levels of the natural resource base on which rural communities are based as well as at the farm system level, and at the individual level of species (Vershot and co., 2005). Farmers must develop strategies and mechanisms for adaptation to minimize the impact of climate change.
Moringa’s Potentials and Climate Change
In an independent lab examination, Moringa Oleifera was found to have the highest antioxidant levels. Moringa surpassed the record-holding acai the berry by more than 50% margin. The test measured over 157,000 umoles using an Oxygen Radial Absorption Capacity (ORAC) measurement system created in the N.I.H.’s National Institute for Aging (Prnewswire.com 2012).
A list of superfoods with antioxidants that were used in the study is Moringa Acai berries Blueberries Dark chocolate, garlic, Goji the berries, Green Tea, Pomegranates and red wine. Moringa is vegan, gluten-free, and caffeine-free. Moringa is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) along with other humanitarian relief organizations around the world that have utilized Moringa to fight malnutrition across the world.
The many nutritional, medicinal industrial, and agricultural uses of moringa are documented. Fahey (2005) stated was “the nutritional properties of moringa are now so well known that there seems to be little doubt of the substantial health benefit to be realized by consumption of moringa leaf powder in situations where starvation is imminent.
” The excitement generated by an international symposium, held in 2006, in Ghana about the use of the moringa tree is so strong that national moringa associations have already been created across African countries. Moringa is well-suited to the majority of sub-Saharan Africa which is where the highest levels of malnutrition and AIDS are observed (Kennedy 2011).
The speed at moringa leaf powder being sold in rural markets across Africa is encouraging. It is evident that in Ghana as well as West Africa, beehives of activities have developed around moringa. They provide low-cost locally accessible and sustainable solutions to malnutrition (Kennedy 2011) and AIDS help in managing AIDS. The moringa tree provides new opportunities for small-scale farmers and aids in the development of natural resources.
However, it will require robust policies, research and strategies for market development to maximize its full capacity. The integration into the food system is required to be as lateral in Africa and vertical in terms of product development is accompanied by the development of markets and penetration efforts, in order to aid in the introduction of moringa products in both the developed and markets of emerging economies.
All this should be conducted in a manner that is beneficial to the needs of all stakeholders with the greatest importance of the vulnerable, rural, and poor communities in which primary production takes place. A new and exciting array of bio-products is possible through agroforestry systems, which will also aid in the restoration of severely degraded ecosystems as well as the productivity of agricultural sites.
Moringa Trees against Climate Change
One way to compensate for the numerous inexcusable CO2 emissions can be to grow trees. The reason for this is that trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and release oxygen back in return. The kind of trees that are planted can have a major impact on the final environmental outcomes. According to a Japanese study (Villafuerte and Villafurte-Abonal 2009) The rate of absorption, or assimilation of carbon dioxide from the moringa plant is 20 times (20x) greater than the rate of the general vegetation, as well as fifty-fold (50x) more in comparison to those of Japanese the cedar.
The moringa tree will therefore be an effective tool for the fight against global warming because just one (1) moringa plant will have the same effect in fifty (50) Japanese cedar trees in the process of absorbing carbon dioxide (Villafuerte and Villafurte-Abonal, 2009). For instance, if moringa was expanded by one hundred thousand (100,000) areas worldwide up to 1 million (1,000,000) hectares equivalent up to 5 (5) gigatons of CO2e that are stored. Analyzing how demands for the other superfoods also took their place in the world market will aid in the development of strategies and programs that will boost demand for moringa across all markets.
Moringa seeds have between 30 and 40 per cent oil, including 13% saturated fats, as well as 82% of unsaturated fatty acids. The majority of the oil contains oleic acid, with sunflower and olive oils having 75 40 per cent and 45 per cent respectively. Like olive oil, moringa oil has a concentration of 1-2% of essential fatty acids that are beneficial like omega-3 and omega-6 (Villafuerte and Villafurte Abonal 2009).
It can be used to cook and as a lubricant for machines, and also as fuel lamps as well as for the manufacturing of perfumes, soaps, and hair products. The seeds and the seed cake of Moringa oleifera have been identified as a potential primary coagulant in water treatment since they can remove as much as 99 per cent of the bacteria in water (Foidl, and. 2001; Villafuerte and Villafuerte Abonal, 2009).
The fresh moringa leaf can be prepared and consumed in the form of vegetables or converted into tea powder, and other pharmaceutical preparations. Moringa leaves, stems and seeds are used in the form of green teas and animal feeds with amazing outcomes. Juice is extracted from fresh leaves that can be utilized as a growth stimulant which can boost the yield of the plant by 25-35 per cent (Foidl and colleagues. 2001).
Moringa is therefore a multi-purpose plant that is very difficult to ignore in the current battle against climate change. Moringa is fast-growing and adjusted to grow in difficult conditions, where most plants are unable to withstand a minimum of 400mm rainfall per year. It’s an ideal plant for agri-business and poverty reduction, as well as an environmentally-friendly choice of plant that can be developed to the benefit of the present and future generations.
Also, check out Can Moringa help in Reducing the Effects of Climate Change?
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