Forgotten Mayan Nut Saves Lives And The Rain Forest

Forgotten Mayan Nut Saves Lives And Rain Forest. Deep In the rain forests of Central America grows the nutrient rich Maya nut. A marble sized seed can be prepared to taste like mashed potatoes, chocolate or coffee.

These nuts are on the ground, they’re free for the taking, though most South Americans have forgotten about the Mayan nut. Many native people living in areas where the Maya nut grows abundantly don’t know about it.

Erika Vohman’s Equilibrium Fund teaches women how to reap the benefits of the Maya nut.She is trying to change that  and improve rain forest conservation and women’s status in the process.

“People are living right there, in extreme poverty, not even eating more than one meal a day and there’s Maya nut lying all around. They don’t eat it because they don’t know,”states Erika.

CNN has dubbed Erika a hero as she travels to Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador, conducting workshops to teach women how to harvest, prepare and cook or dry the prolific Mayan seeds into tasty, hearty foods.

Erika a 45 year old biologist first encountered the Maya nut while visiting rural Guatemala ten years ago for an animal rescue effort. An indigenous colleague and friend told her of the native resource, once an essential food staple of his Mayan ancestors, when civilization had widely cultivated the large tropical rain forest tree, the Brosimum alicastrum, that produces this wonderful Maya nut.

Erika watched impoverished Guatemalan communities clear rain forests to plant food and it didn’t take long for Erika that the key for uplifting Central American communities was to help them return to their roots and rain forests.

She decided to attended graduate school and learned how she could help these populations make the most of the Maya nut. A resource that didn’t require forest destruction for planting.

Then in 2001Erika created The Equilibrium Fund to help alleviate poverty, malnutrition and deforestation by teaching communities about their native Maya nut forests.

What Are The Far Reaching Benefits of The Maya Nut

With Mayan trees able to produce as much as 400 pounds of food a year, using the Maya nut prevents rain forest clear cutting to harvest other foods and increases populations’ food supplies. When dried, the Maya nut can be stored for up to five years. This can be a  lifeline for regions with frequent droughts. The Mayan nut is resilient because it is also less susceptible to climate changes than the crops that had been brought in to replace it.

The Maya nut has high levels of nutrients including protein, calcium, fiber, iron and vitamins A, E, C and B. Not since the Acai Berry has there been a product from South America and the Rain Forests that has helps its people in so many ways.

In the rural village of Versalles, Nicaragua, women gather and cook the Maya nuts into pancakes, cookies, salads, soup and shakes that feed their community year-round. It is one of 700 communities so far where “The Maya Nut Revolution,” as it has come to be known, has taken hold.

“These women are responsible for raising the next generation. If a woman’s not educated and doesn’t have access to any job opportunities, it makes it really hard. Our workshops [help them] acquire the skills and knowledge to feed their families and better their lives,” Erika stated.

Training rural women about the Maya nut has made them champions of rain forest conservation and reforestation, as well as entrepreneurs who turn Maya nut products into income. Training empowers women to educate others in neighboring communities, subsequently spreading the wealth.

The Equilibrium Fund has taught more than 10,000 women across five countries about Maya nut for food and income. More than 800,000 Maya nut trees have been planted for rain forest conservation.

The group has found that where the Maya nut tree disappears, 50 to 80 percent of local species are wiped out in six months to a year.

Seeing the widespread effect of her group’s endeavors keeps Erika going. “It’s impacting gender equality. That’s a huge paradigm shift. We’re having an impact on the environment, an economic impact and also motivating reforestation. It’s really amazing,” Erika states.

Want to get involved?

The Equilibrium Fund is how you can help and reach out for this eco and very important program. It  alleviates poverty, malnutrition and deforestation by teaching rural and indigenous women about the nutrition, uses and processing of Maya Nut. I am a Baby Boomer and a child of the 60′s. But, I still believe that we can make a difference. The Forgotten Mayan Nut Saves Lives And The Rain Forest and you can too. For more information and the full story, go to CNN News.