Cultivating hope

Last August, the vision came to fruition at the widely participated launch of ABM.

Moringa industry in Benin has flourished notably as ABM facilitates more farmers growing moringa alongside other crops as an additional source of income, and as an affordable supplement for malnutrition.

Through ABM, efforts of farmers, which were usually confined in their own fields and villages, are stretched out to markets and other moringa producers across the country. "Ultimately the goal is to create nationwide demand for moringa powder, satisfied by a network of well-supervised moringa plantations," said Herby.

ABM sets the production standard to strategically incorporate moringa into nutrition programs. One of its key activities is conducting workshops with farmers, health workers and students. Since its launch, there has been a spirited demand for orientation on moringa cultivation and processing, informed ABM technical assistant Patrick Starr.

Benin's health agenda has inspired the expansion of moringa networks such as Moringa Partners, which reaches out to growers from Cameroon, Ethiopia, India, Costa Rica and the Philippines.

"On a larger scale, [the] Peace Corps is increasing its focus on food security," said Herby. "And moringa is being considered a primary component in Peace Corps' food security planning for the West Africa sub-region."

"The world is still learning about moringa," said Glasgow, optimistic that more moringa benefits will be developed as a worldwide demand is set in motion.

While ABM acknowledges that it will take years to see tangible effects of the program, the empowerment of Beninese farmers has resulted in the cultivation of hope, health and abundance beyond quantifiable terms.

 (Article first published in MediaGlobal.org)