Foundation Accomplishes Goal of Establishing Nutritious Tree Crop in Haiti and Jamaica to Combat Hunger
By Joe Dales, Farms.com
Trees That Feed Foundation (TTFF), www.treesthatfeed.org, announced that in just five years they have donated 50,000 food-bearing trees that have been planted in Caribbean nations to help combat hunger and develop a sustainable food source.
The main type of tree the organization has been planting is the "Breadfruit" which has been heralded as a 'wonder food' that has the potential to feed the people in poor countries.
The exotic fruit, which is known by its Latin name artocarpus altilis, has a potato-like texture and is widely eaten throughout the Pacific Islands. Breadfruit grows on trees in tropical areas such as the Caribbean. It's high in energy from carbohydrates, low in fat, and has more potassium than 10 bananas. The fruit can be ground into a flour and is used as part of a main meal or can be made into sweets.
The 50,000th tree donated by TTFF is a breadfruit tree planted by students as part of a school garden project in St. Michel de l' Attalaye, Haiti. "This tree is a great milestone as we work toward a sustainable food supply in Haiti, with breadfruit as a major crop," said Timote Georges, executive director, Smallholder Farmers Alliance, the organization responsible for the school garden. "We are grateful to the Trees That Feed Foundation for their work during the last five years in making breadfruit trees available throughout Haiti."
Mary McLaughlin, a TTFF founder and current chief executive, said tree crops are an answer to world food concerns. "Tree crops are a sustainable food source for tropical countries and have similar nutritional qualities to grains. They require less input of labor, agro chemicals, fertilizers and space," she said.
About 80 percent of the world's poorest people reside in the tropics, and government officials in the Caribbean are realizing breadfruit's potential to help feed their populations. Since its founding in 2008, TTFF has achieved meaningful humanitarian success with ongoing initiatives to plant breadfruit trees in Haiti and Jamaica. When cooked, breadfruit tastes similar to unleavened bread, and can serve as a substitute for flour, rice or potatoes. One breadfruit easily satisfies the carbohydrate portion of a meal for a family of four. A mature tree can produce up to a half ton of fruit per year.
More information on Breadfruit:
Breadfruit: The Wonder Food Packed With Carbs and Protein That Could Feed the World - Huffington Post
Recipes for an unexpected tropical wonder food - New Scientist
Is this the new wonder food? Breadfruit is high in protein and has the potential to feed the world, experts say - Daily Mail
About TTFF
Based in Northfield, Ill., Trees That Feed Foundation is a not-for-profit public charity devoted to helping tropical countries combat hunger. TTFF works with governments and not-for-profit organizations in the Caribbean, Central America and Africa to plant selected species of food-bearing trees. A $15 tree can feed a family for decades.
Visit www.treesthatfeed.org to provide a tree and help alleviate hunger.
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