Moringa Oleifera is a Modern Day
Building Block for a Sustainable Future

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About a year ago, we decided to invest in Moringa Oleifera, also known as the "Miracle Tree". If you wish, you can click here (opens a new tab) to follow the story - or read on.

As the orchid grows, we are starting to take a few samples of seed pods to get an idea of size and weight of the seeds.

These figures may not apply to every growing region in the world but it will give you a reference point.

Average mass of Moringa Oleifera seeds

Air Dried (about 3 months) 10 x Seeds + Shells + Wings 10 x Seeds + Shells 10 x Seeds 10 x Shells (Broken)

= 2.5 grams = 2.5 grams = 2.0 grams = 0.5 grams

Two Weeks after Harvest 10 x Seeds + Shell + Wings

= 2.5 grams

Air Dried (about 3 months) 1 box = 0.2 x 0.24 x 0.15 m           = 0.0072 m3           = 1,245 g gross           = 1,095 g nett (box = 150g)

Results Based on the calculations on the left, 1 cubic meter of seeds (with shells) should be around 152 kg.

With Wings Green - 2 Weeks after Harvest

No Wings De-Shelled (Decorticated)

It was interesting to note that the shell was only about 20% of the total weight. The weight of the wings was negligible.

It was also interesting to note that the difference between the dry seed and the wet seed was also negligible - other than the fact that the wet seed had some green colour and the dry seed was brown, there was no difference.

Average volume of Moringa Oleifera seeds

Results 1 Cup 247 Seeds and Shells

= 247 Seeds with their Shells = 1/3 Cup Seeds Only = 9/10 Cup Shells (Broken)

1 Cup of Shelled Seeds 1 Cup of Seeds after de-shelling

Weight of Shelled Seeds Weight of de-shelled Seeds

These measurements gave us an indication of volume. While the mass of the seeds to shell ratio is about 4:1*, the volume measurements gave us a ratio of 1:3, respectively (1 cup of seeds produces 3 cups of shells)

*4 grams of seeds gives us 1 gram of shells

Average volume of Moringa Oleifera shells after chopping and grinding

We did this test to get an idea of the reduction in volume of the broken shells after the seeds has been extracted.

This was a hand process by using a piece of wood (slightly flexible, like a wooden spoon) and gently pressing on the seed shell until it cracked.

The rest of the process was using our fingers to manually strip away the shell pieces and extract the seed.

Results 4 x Cups of Broken Shells

= 1 2/3 Cups (After Chopping**)

Before Chopping

After Chopping

** We used a kitchen blender and the chopped pieces averaged between 0.5 mm and 2 mm.

Had we used something more powerful, like a coffee grinder, we would have achieved much smaller pieces - similar to ground coffee.

But the test did show us that we achieved about 60% reduction in volume. This information is important when considering transport, especially when using (or selling) the ground shells as a mulch and compost addition.

Perfect mulch for your garden. Add it directly to soils and dig it in.
Or, add it to your compost heap.

You can of course use the unground shells, but for it to be more effective, rather only add it to your compost heap and allow the shells to break down and soften naturally.

The steps to a sustainable investment

So far, without having to use any serious machinery other than a domestic chopper (which can be skipped out), we have :

• broken shells for our compost heap or chopped shells as a mulch (either of which will be added back to the Moringa Oleifera tree's)
• the de-shelled seeds which will be pressed to produce Moringa oil
• the compressed cake (after oil expelling) can either be chopped/ground to produce a mulch or added directly to the compost heap for natural breakdown (again, this by-product will be added back to the Moringa tree's as a natural compost)

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Depending on the market that you wish to sell to, growing and selling Moringa Oleifera offers several options :

Capsules

Young Pods

Ground Leaves

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Product - Ground Leaves Ground leaves in capsule form

Market First world markets where consumers relate to the fact that vitamin supplements are supplied in capsule form

Ground leaves as a tea Ground leaves as a plant food

All markets First world markets where consumers relate to the fact that plant food is necessary for their domestic flowers and gardens

Ground leaves as a food supplement (Great malnutrition article from BBC Click Here)

Mostly undeveloped markets with high rates of malnutrition (countries that use low nutrition crops, such as maize, as their staple foods)

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Product - Dried Leaves Dried leaves as animal fodder

Market All markets close to the source of growing. Food for animals, such as cows as it increases weight and milk production (As the product is bulky, it will be expensive to transport)

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Product - Fresh Leaves Fresh leaves for human consumption

Market To keep freshness, the market needs to be close to the source of growing. Ideally, the fresh leaves should be harvested and consumed the same day

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Product - Fresh Pods and Seeds Fresh pods for human consumption

Market Fresh pods will keep good condition for about a week, if kept cool and clean. Depending on the eating habits of this market, it could be anywhere in the world. Cost of transport would be an issue if Moringa is grown in this target market, such as India, where production and consumption is high

Tinned pods for human consumption

Anywhere in the world. Canning facilities needs to be considered as well as cost of transport, especially if Moringa is grown in the target market

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Product - Matured Seeds Oil as a lubricant

Market All over the world. Moringa oil has been used for thousands of years as a natural lubricant

Oil as a cosmetic

First world countries where it is used in many types of cosmetics

Pressed cake after oil extraction

Local market where the cake is used in composts and mulches

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And the really good news

By the time you are finished with all of the above, you next crop will be ready for harvest.

If you are harvesting leaves, you can get 4 to 6 crops per year.

If you are harvesting fresh (immature) pods, you can get 1 to 2 harvests per year.

If you are harvesting mature pods, you will get 1 crop per year.

Invest in Moringa Oleifera

While the likes of Monsanto produce genetically modified foods, only for the sake of profit, we are investing in Moringa Oleifera for the sake of future generations that can invest in sustainable resources.

Moringa Oleifera was used thousands of years ago by ancients cultures like the Egyptians and Romans and its reputation is as good now as it was then.

GM Food companies have only been around for a few decades and already they are dealing with protests, demonstrations, lawsuits and injury.

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