A few days ago, I read in The Guardian, that Jack´s fruit may be the crop for the future, the reason: climate change. It seems that this tree is capable of surviving the increase in temperature and extreme tropical climate. After all, global warming is present worldwide and will cause the loss of thounsands of hectares of cultivable land and even some traditional tropical crops such as cocoa are in danger of dissapearing.
Jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
In Rancho Ibelia, we also have seen some changes; for example, normally in september we fix the roads and fix the structures of the farm because it was known as the dryest month of the year. Nevertheless, this year september was rainy and gave us a lot of foggy mornings, cacao trees are more suceptible to fusarium (fungi infection that covers the fruit with black velvet). This takes us back to the main topic: the importance of the well adapted species like Jack fruit, bread fruit, citrics and some more. However, Jack fruit is even more important, not only for its great size (considered as the biggest fruit tree of the world) and adaptability, but also for its high content in proteins, energy, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
One cup of sliced fruit provides the following nutrients:
- Calories: 155
- Carbs: 40 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 3 grams
- Vitamin A: 10% of the RDI
- Vitamin C: 18% of the RDI
- Riboflavin: 11% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 15% of the RDI
- Potassium: 14% of the RDI
- Copper: 15% of the RDI
- Manganese: 16% of the RDI
In addition, Jack Fruit is very versatile, it can be prepared in salt and sweet dishes, and it's being released worldwide. Several vegan restaurants are using the fruit as a protein option to developed "meat" on their dishes. India is exporting 500 TON of Jack fruit to Europe and the USA, and it is expected that this figure can increase up to 800 TON by the end of this year.
In this way, Jack fruit is called to become the star of the tropical crops. It is huge, it endures climate change, its nutritive and also goes with the mental trending of vegan world.
Let's grow it!
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1930/2
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/jackfruit.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/23/jackfruit-miracle-crop-climate-change-food-security
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/16/jackfruit-stinking-vegan-food-trend-star
