International workshop on Moringa in Accra in November

The Moringa tree is becoming more and more popular throughout the world, with regards to the very high potential of its leaves, which are particularly rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals, for Human nutrition. The tree, widespread in Africa where it is used as living fences and as a source of food and folk medicine, has first attracted the attention of a number of scientists, before being widely adopted by NGOs in their nutritional programs in Africa and Asia. The use of Moringa leaves in enriched food preparations used to prevent and cure malnutrition should expand in the future, as international organisations involved in food security (Helen Keller International, World Vision, Oxfam, etc.) are aware of their properties and start using it.

In addition, dry leaf powder and leaf juice start being traded by Asian and American firms as dietary supplements, a market in full expansion among middle and high classes across all the continents, including in Africa.

In this context, it is hard time to address the main constraints (in terms of production, processing and regulation) that hinder the commercial development of Moringa leaf-derived products on the regional and international markets. In this view, the Moringanews network, a worldwide reference on Moringa with over 500 members throughout the world and more than 3000 monthly visits on its website (www.moringanews.org), is organising an international workshop:

“Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards and markets for a better impact on nutrition in Africa”

The workshop will focus on key issues for the development of the use of Moringa leaves:

• Leaf production systems as a cash crop

• Use of Moringa for medically controlled nutritional recovery

• Use of Moringa and other leafy vegetables to prevent malnutrition

• Market development of dietary supplements based on leafy vegetables in Africa

• Efficient communication about Moringa potential and ways to promote it The workshop will be held in Accra, Ghana, from November 16th to 18th 2006, and will gather 60 selected participants from 4 continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, America) and 21 countries. Participants are:

• Nutritional and agricultural scientists

• Rural NGOs and farmers associations involved in the production, processing, trade and promotion of Moringa leaves

• International NGOs and institutions

• Private companies manufacturing and/or trading processed food products and dietary supplements, already incorporating or interested to incorporate Moringa leaves in their products

The Workshop is supported financially by two European Development Fund organisations: the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA, Wageningen), and the Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE, Brussels), with a contribution of the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species at IPGRI, Rome.

Daily digests of the workshop will be posted on the www.moringanews.org website.

For more information, please contact:

Armelle DE SAINT SAUVEUR, Scientific Director, Moringanews: asauveur@wanadoo.fr Mélanie BROIN, Communication and Press Relations, Moringanews: melanie.broin@wanadoo.fr