Native to northern India, the drought-tolerant moringa tree is
now grown throughout Asia, South America and Africa. As a crop,
the moringa tree’s durability and rapid growth (up to 10 feet
each year!) make it ideal for low-income, rural communities.
Often called “the miracle tree,” the moringa is more than your
average tree. The wood is soft and doesn’t make the best
building material but its regenerative bark is perfect for wood-
burning stoves. Moringa oil, in addition to being a substitute
for vegetable oil, is used in soaps, lamps and as mechanical
lubrication for farm and food production equipment. But the
moringa’s greatest use is nutritional. According to the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, just 25 grams of
moringa leaf powder supplies a person with their entire day’s
calcium and vitamin A needs, half the day’s protein and
potassium needs and about three-quarters of the day’s iron
needs. Eaten as a vegetable course during meals, moringa leaves
improve childhood nutrition, birth