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Humble Brazil Nut - A Rainforest Warrior
Eco tourism can give a nebulous dollar value to rainforests but the Brazil nut gives a dollar value to an intact Amazonian rainforest that even economists can understand and developers can be thwarted by.
The Brazil nut cannot be farmed outside a complete ecosystem where forest litter feeds its roots and it is pollinated by an orchid bee dependent on other denizens of the forest.
Its value in dollars per hectare outstrips the values for soy, which can only produce for a few years after the forest is flattened and before the soil is leached beyond use.
The Brazil nut is one of the few sources of selenium which we now know is essential for enzymes we need (glutathione peroxidases, thioredoxin reductase and thyroid hormone_deiodinases). Australian soils are often deficient in selenium – a fact CSIRO deduced is true for sheep many years ago but never thought important for humans who use similar enzymes.
In the past the nuts have been shipped 4000 klms down the Amazon in tropical heat without protection from oxidation. As a result the nuts which have arrived here are usually stale and unwholesome.
Recently the processors have started vacuum packing the nuts and a new road over the Andes allows the nuts quick access to the Pacific coast for shipping to Australia.
Organic certification introduced by energetic NGOs has ensured the nuts are well cared for in collection, processing, storage and transport.
This has happily coincided with awareness of the importance of both selenium and omega-3 and-6 oils in our diet.
The nuts are harvested by the indigenous Amazonians and are usually their only cash crop.
Awareness enhances enjoyment
- John Talent Global Organics Pty Ltd, Canberra, Australia