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Tulimara African Baobab Product Producer
Tulimara are a Zimbabwean company working to sustainably commercialise indigenous natural resources.
The sustainable commercialisation of indigenous natural resources provides alternative income generating opportunities for rural producers and encourages them to protect their natural resources because they are able to make money from them.
Bravo Tulimara
Baobab Botanicals Rolls Out New Product Line
Baobab Botanicals a new neutracutical company has just rooled out a product line featureing Baobab. The new company is committed to Fair Trade Practises and is looking forward to rapid expansion within the U.S.
What Will Happen When the Baobab Goes Global?
By DAWN STARIN
New York Times
May 25, 2009
IT’s known as the baobab in English, sito in Mandinka, gwi in Wolof and Adansonia digitata in botanical circles. Sometimes it’s called the upside-down tree, because its weirdly shaped branches resemble roots. It was made famous in the West by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s fable “The Little Prince.”
In Africa, the baobab tree is steeped in mystique and surrounded by superstition. Many people believe that its spirit protects the community around it, and its tangible properties certainly nourish those who live near it. Parts of the tree are used to make rope and fishing line; to feed goats, sheep and cows; and to provide shelter, food and medicine.
While living in Gambia I saw parts of the baobab used to treat everything from malarial fever, infertility and asthma to headaches and toothaches. I have no idea if and how these local remedies worked, but all of a sudden the rest of the world — Western health food companies included — is catching on. There’s a growing belief that the baobab may be the world’s newest super food.
The tree’s white, powdery fruit is rich in antioxidants, potassium and phosphorus, and has six times as much vitamin C as oranges and twice as much calcium as milk. The leaves are an excellent source of iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and phosphorus, and the seeds are packed with protein.
The baobab was approved for European markets last year, and the Food and Drug Administration is expected to follow suit soon. The fruit’s dry pulp will be sold as an ingredient in smoothies and cereal bars. Already, a small jar of African baobab jam made in England sells for around $11. According to the Natural Resources Institute in Britain, an international baobab industry could bring in about $1 billion a year and provide jobs for 2.5 million African families. On paper this sounds great, but there’s another side to the picture.
The baobab has never been a plantation tree; it grows wild in arid regions. (It can also be found in Australia, but it thrives in few other places outside Africa.) Presently people harvest only what they need and maybe a bit more to sell at local markets. If it becomes an international commodity, the baobab probably would need to be planted as a crop, even though arable soil is limited. The open land where local people now freely harvest wild baobab could be developed by agribusinesses into plantations, or else precious forests or farmland used to grow everyday staple crops could be turned over to the baobab export industry.
Although local people would probably find jobs on such farms, their ability to harvest or purchase the baobab themselves would be limited. They wouldn’t be able to pay as much as London dealers could. This means that some Africans could lose a source of household wealth, an important part of their diet and an essential pharmaceutical resource.
These possibilities — not to mention the threat of corruption, poor wages and genetic modification leading to a loss of the tree’s biodiversity — are not random predictions. Africa is no stranger to the overexploitation of its natural resources. But the solution isn’t necessarily to cut the baobab off from international markets. Regulations could be put in place to protect the tree, its environment and the people who depend on it — and still allow for profitable production.
The coffee trade provides a model. It’s clear that many consumers are willing to pay more for fairly traded coffee — which costs enough to provide the growers a decent wage for their labor. This bottom-up pricing should be applied to the baobab market, even if it means European health nuts have to pay a lot for their smoothies.
The baobab’s new popularity is exciting, but the European Union, the United States and African exporters should decide on regulations before the baobab is rushed to European and North American markets.
In Saint-Exupéry’s story, the planet the Little Prince lives on is too small to support the baobab. This is hardly our situation, but the Little Prince still has some useful advice for us: Taking care of your planet, he says, “is very tedious work, but very easy.”
Dawn Starin is an anthropologist.
Functional Food Growth Slows by Karlene Lukovitz, Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 9:06 PM
While many categories would have welcomed 6% growth last year, that represented a slowdown for functional foods, which grew by 8% in 2007.
U.S. sales of functional foods and beverages — defined as those that offer a health advantage beyond basic nutrition and employ this as a primary point of market positioning — rose from $26.9 billion in 2006 to $29 billion in ’07 to $30.7 billion last year, according to a new study from Packaged Facts (PF).
To some extent, the numbers reflect category maturation after an extended period of accelerated growth. Sales of the largest functional categories grew at a compound annual rate of 8% between 2003 and 2008 in retail outlets tracked by Information Resources Inc. (IRI), points out PF’s “Functional Foods and Beverages in the U.S.
Holistic Massage Therapy Weblog in Gambia
Our Purpose – our goal is to listen and respond to the voices of our clients. We promise to pamper and encourage our clients to relax and feel the unity of mind, body and spirit.
We choose to focus on all aspects of the treatment promising you will leave feeling calm, nurtured and revived. Our comfortable, relaxing ambience, dedicated practitioners, and luxurious treatments are about encouraging our clients to simply be…
The future of the world is Africa
The African Business Weblog is dedicated to contributing to the learning environment, diversity and global opportunities in African business, investing, media, internet marketing, workshops, conferences, stock markets, venture capital, tourism, blogs, web 2.0, africa SEO and other innovative business strategies for Africa.
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Malcolm Riley – Gourmet Foods Entrepreneur
To see your product flying off the shelves at Selfridges Food Hall is a dream-come-true for any gourmet food maker. Malcolm Riley has achieved it with his very first product, thanks to a little-known African superfruit and a touch of serendipity.
In 2007, Riley – the son of an English father and a half-African, half-Indian mother – visited his family in his native Zambia. With plans in place to start his own food business, he was looking out for ideas for new and unusual products. By chance, he met the Mthanjara Women’s Co-operative, a group of women working to combat hunger and support AIDS orphans in the east of the country. As well as growing crops such as maize and ground nuts, the women also made food from wild fruits. One of their favourites was a traditional jam made from the highly nutritious fruit of the baobab, a tree that grows in vast numbers across Southern Africa.
‘As soon as I tasted it, I knew I had my first product,’ says Riley. ‘This jam was sensational and quite different to anything on the market in Europe. It had a creamy smooth texture like honey and tasted of apricots, lemon and lime. I was hooked.’
Armed with the recipe, Riley returned to Devon and set to work, naming his company Yozuna, which means “It’s sweet!” in the local Zambian language. He took a sample from his first batch of jam to Selfridges and their savvy buyers immediately signed it up in an exclusive launch deal. It has been so successful that Riley has added three new products to his line-up: baobab spreads made with chocolate and banana, and baobab lemonade, all of which will carry the FAIRTRADE mark.
The great thing about baobab, according to Riley, is that it’s not only delicious and nutritious – containing high levels of Vitamin C, calcium and iron – but it also helps to improve the lives of rural people in Southern Africa.
‘In remote areas, families often survive on less than $100 a year. They can’t afford seeds and tools for farming, but to harvest baobab costs them nothing and earns vital income for food, healthcare and education. The more baobab we eat in the UK and Europe, the more people in Africa stand to benefit,’ says Riley.
Riley works closely with PhytoTrade Africa – the organization representing the natural products industry in Southern Africa – to ensure that the baobab in his products comes from ethical and sustainable sources. He has also committed to return a portion of his profits to the Mthanjara Women’s Cooperative to support their extraordinary work.
‘After all, it was their recipe that launched my business,’ he says.
Riley says he also owes a debt of gratitude to the nutritionist and food writer Wendy E. Cook – former wife of comedian Peter Cook – whom he met while working as manager at his local farm shop in Devon. Riley had moved down from London to start a new life with his fiancée Sophie and explore his growing passion for natural and organic food. He and Cook struck up a rapport through their shared interest in food and Riley plucked up the courage to show her some recipes he had been developing. Cook was so impressed that she asked to use one in her forthcoming biodynamic cookbook.
‘It was a massive confidence boost for me and convinced me my future really was in food,’ says Riley. ‘Ultimately it led to me setting up Yozuna, so I have a lot to thank both Wendy and the women of Mthanjara for!’
Banjul Airport Restaurant
Don’t forget to visit Luigi’s Terrace Bar on your way Home…Last chance to sit in the sun and enjoy a fresh made sandwich or snack washed down with a cool drink, all available in the Departure Lounge Garden at Banjul International Airport(BJL)
See You Soon!
Contact details and Reservations:
Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.
Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!
info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/
Tel +220 4460280
Baobab Leave Soup Kuka Soup
Kuka Soup is a traditional Nigerian recipe for a classic fish stew in a chilli and tomato sauce that’s thickened with okra and baobab leaves.
The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Nigerian version of: Kuka Soup.
Baobab leaves are a staple of certain West African cuisines. They’re often used, dried, as a thickener in the same way that dried sassafras leaves (filé powder) is used in Cajun cookery. Indeed, in a pinch you could substitute 4 tbsp filé powder for the kuka leaves in the recipe below.
Ingredients
225g dried kuka (baobab) leaves
225g dried, ground, okra
1 fresh chilli
4 fresh tomatoes
1 small onion, sliced
500g dry or fresh fish
6 tbsp palm oil
1l stock or water
salt to taste
Kuka Soup Preparation:
Method:
Wash and clean a fish (if it’s fresh season with salt and black pepper). Grind the tomatoes, onion and chilli to a paste in a pestle and mortar or a a food processor. Pour the stock into a large pot and add the tomato paste and the palm oil. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cut the fish into steaks some 3cm thick, add these and cook for 15 minutes. Add the okra and baobab leaves then cook for a further 10 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot on a bed of rice or with fufu.
Gambia Holistic Massage
Holistic Massage is an ancient therapy that heals physical and emotional tension. Anna’s Holistic massage helps to restore balance to your body and mind and helps relax and de-stress you. We cover the back, neck, shoulders, legs and feet.
Our Holistic massage incorporates traditional Swedish massage techniques to release muscle tension and promote a sense of wellbeing. Holistic massage increases your blood and lymph circulation, boosts endorphin levels and can help restore natural sleeping patterns.
Benefits
There are many benefits associated with holistic massage. It benefits all body systems, as it is a natural and effective way to treat both physical conditions and psychological problems.
Short term
Improves skin tone and colour, it improves circulation and removes dead skin cells. Relives muscle fatigue, stiffness and soreness. Relaxes the mind, which in turn reduces tension and effects of stress. Increases energy as massage invigorates all body systems.
Long-term
Boosts the immune system and helps relieve insomnia and increases energy levels and aids lymphatic drainage.
Prices
60 minutes 500D
gambiamassage@gmail.com
or call direct on +220-9904493 and we will call you to confirm.
Thank you, for choosing The Holistic Health Centre.
Contact details and Reservations:
Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.
Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!
info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/
Tel +220 4460280
European Investment Bank (EIB)
+220-497 856/951
sahel@qnet.gm
www.sahelgroup.gm/
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