Growing international interest in Baobab
African Baobab Alliance to host the first international Baobab Congress.
Berlin, 30th of January 2019. On 11 February 2019 the first „Global Baobab Congress“ will take place in Erlangen. The event is organised by the African Baobab Alliance (ABA) and is aimed at international participants from business, development cooperation, research and non-governmental organisations. The goal of the congress is to exchange views on the sustainable use of Baobab, income generation in the countries of origin, the medicinal and health benefits of Baobab products and quality standards.
First Baobab Congress brings business, science and non-governmental organisations together
On 11 February 2019 the African Baobab Alliance will host the first international Baobab Congress in Erlangen, Germany. The Baobab Congress is aimed at participants from industry, research, development cooperation and non-governmental organisations interested in the topic of Baobab. The aim of the Baobab Congress is an exchange on topics such as the sustainable use of Baobab, environmental protection, health benefits of Baobab, common quality standards, income generation for rural people and producers in the countries of origin and the marketing of Baobab products. The one-day event will take place close to the world’s leading trade fair for organic food, BIOFACH, which will take place from 13-16 February in Nuremberg. In 2008, Baobab fruit powder was approved as a novel food for distribution in Europe in accordance with the provisions of the EU Novel Food Regulation.
Baobab from Africa attracts growing interest
Products from Baobab (bot. Adansonia digitata), also known as the „baobab tree“, have been attracting increasing interest from consumers, food manufacturers, scientists and international non-governmental organisations in recent years. The newly founded African Baobab Alliance (ABA) is responding to this interest with an international congress. Experts from different specialist areas will provide an insight into the current state of research. Thus Dr. Shelly Cole of the Oxford Brookes University (UK) will report to the health effect of Baobab fruit powder, in particular in connection with the blood sugar leveland type 2 diabetes. Dr. Aida Cuni Sanchez from the University of York (UK) expects results on the current state of research on the effects of climate change on Baobab trees. „We are looking forward to many participants from different disciplines and expect an exciting exchange around the topic Baobab“, says Gus Le Breton, Chairman of the African Baobab Alliance.
Baobab as food and means to life
Baobab fruit powder as an ingredient in food is enjoying growing popularity. More and more food manufacturers are using the powder of the exotic fruit as an ingredient in the manufacture of products. At the same time, scientific interest in Baobab fruit powder is growing. In particular, the effects on blood sugar levels, intestinal flora and cognitive performance have so far been the subject of scientific research. In addition to its importance for the food industry and the medical sector.
Baobab is also gaining importance in development cooperation and the sustainable use of biodiversity. Baobab grows almost exclusively in arid regions in sub-Saharan Africa. In such areas, baobab can provide an additional source of income for the population. In South East African Zimbabwe, for example, several thousand families can generate income by selling baobab fruit. In Kenya and Sudan, too, the sustainable use of baobab for income generation and food security is currently being examined with the support of a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The potential annual yield for sub-Saharan Africa is estimated at 15,000 tonnes. Of these, approximately 200-300 tons are currently exported worldwide each year. „This offers enormous potential for the people of Africa and the sustainable use of Africa’s biodiversity,“ says Gus Le Breton.
About the African Baobab Alliance
The African Baobab Alliance (ABA) is an association of baobab producers, traders, food producers, scientists and environmentalists. The African Baobab Alliance was founded in 2018 and is registered as a non-profit organization based in Louis Trichardt, South Africa. The goals of the ABA are among other things uniform quality standards, income generation and economic development in the producing countries, protection of the environment by a sustainable use of the Baobab trees, the marketing of Baobab and promotion of the Baobab paragraph world-wide.
Photos courtesy of Bio-Innovation Zimbabwe.
