Cuban female scientists participate in second international symposium on moringa, known as the Tree of Life

November 20, 2019

Cuban scientists Concepción Campa and María del Carmen Pérez return to the Island today after a work trip to South Africa and Italy which they described as intense and fruitful.

Dr. Campa, who heads the Moringa program, arrived last Friday in Rome coming from Pretoria where she participated in the second international symposium dedicated to that plant, recognized as the Tree of Life.

The event brought together experts from 24 countries in Pretoria with the purpose of extending knowledge and use of the plant, originating from northern India and which, in addition to being nutritious, benefits health due to its high content of proteins, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

In statements to Prensa Latina, Campa explained that they arrived in Italy taking advantage of the trip to South Africa to hold meetings with experts from the Biodiversity, Climate Water and Land division of the United Nations agency for Food and Agriculture (FAO).

She detailed in particular the meeting with the Emergency division that is accompanying the Moringa project, which emerged after Hurricane Mathews passed through and devastated coconut, cocoa and coffee plantations in Guantánamo, crops that take a decade to recover, and this plant appeared as an alternative for reforestation, food and nutrition, a source of employment and income.

Thus the FAO is promoting in Cuba's easternmost province the cultivation, drying and reduction to powder of the plant, which "culminates in the production of nutritious bars."

They also held bilateral meetings, considered important, with directors of the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development, with whom they discussed the five ECTI projects, particularly the Moringa one and "we received suggestions for the search for new projects."

At the Ministry of Health the meeting was arranged to learn about the regulations and necessary documentation regarding commercialization in this country of Cuban Moringa products given the interest of many people in everything related to this wonderful plant.

The distinguished scientist provided details to Prensa Latina about the production of this marvelous plant on the Caribbean island, which in various forms is sold in more than 60 pharmacies in Havana.

There is also the cultivation of Sacha Inchi, a plant originating from Peru whose fruit has a seed with a very high percentage of oil that in turn has a high content of omegas 3, 6 and 9, very necessary for health and very rare to find in vegetable sources.

There is also the project of protein plants for animal food that includes queratilia, tithonia, moringa and mulberry; and the fifth is dedicated to medicinal plants (Turmeric, Jamaica Flower, Acerola as a source of vitamin C and Stevia, as a natural sweetener), Campa explained.