NewsWhore
05-27-2011, 04:40 PM
Following Category 5 Hurricane David in 1979, businessman Manuel Arsenio Urena introduced the macadamia tree to the Dominican Republic as a way of reforesting the island and replenishing the eroded topsoil. Because the tree has a shallow root system, it is capable of holding down precious topsoil.
Reporter Elizabeth Eames Roebling of IPS writes that for 15 years the trees were simply planted and the nuts were left to rot on the ground. The macadamia nut, the most expensive nut on the world market, was unknown in the country, and there was no market for it. As the trees were seen as having no value, peasants began to cut them down and used them to make charcoal.
The difference came when Jesus Moreno, of the Moreno family that founded Helados Bon, began a crusade to promote macadamia nuts. He first introduced macadamia nut ice cream. Moreno is known for his years long campaigns to preserving the country's ecology.
When ten years later in 2005 the local production of macadamia exceeded the market for the ice cream, Moreno went a step forward and started commercially packaging the nuts under the brand name of La Loma.
Taking the project further, Moreno saw the potential that the tree could do more for the country, by becoming a model of sustainable farming. The macadamia nut could lift both current and future generations out of poverty.
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55800 (http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55800)
http://www.laloma.com.do/
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)
Reporter Elizabeth Eames Roebling of IPS writes that for 15 years the trees were simply planted and the nuts were left to rot on the ground. The macadamia nut, the most expensive nut on the world market, was unknown in the country, and there was no market for it. As the trees were seen as having no value, peasants began to cut them down and used them to make charcoal.
The difference came when Jesus Moreno, of the Moreno family that founded Helados Bon, began a crusade to promote macadamia nuts. He first introduced macadamia nut ice cream. Moreno is known for his years long campaigns to preserving the country's ecology.
When ten years later in 2005 the local production of macadamia exceeded the market for the ice cream, Moreno went a step forward and started commercially packaging the nuts under the brand name of La Loma.
Taking the project further, Moreno saw the potential that the tree could do more for the country, by becoming a model of sustainable farming. The macadamia nut could lift both current and future generations out of poverty.
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55800 (http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=55800)
http://www.laloma.com.do/
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)