14 Feb Baobabs & EcoProducts: creating a culture of caring

The beautiful extravagant flowers blossom dramatically for just 24 hours and then wilt and fall to the ground, yet the Baobab tree can thrive in harsh desert-like conditions for well over a thousand years.

However, the true wonder of the Baobab tree lies in its fruit. It can take a Baobab tree up to 200 years before it produces its first hard green-brown velvety pod-shaped fruit. EcoProducts, the first and only South African Baobab manufacturing company is based in the heartland of Baobab country in the Limpopo. They only harvest the fruit once it’s fallen to the ground ensuring the trees are not damaged in any way during the harvesting process.

The fruit pods are broken open to reveal small hard dark seeds embedded in clumps of a creamy coloured dry fibrous powder. The powder is separated from the seeds (which are cold-pressed into baobab oil) and the powder ends up on retail shelves as Baobab Superfruit Powder.

Dr Sarah Venter, the owner of EcoProducts, believes in making a positive impact on society and our environment.  Thus EcoProducts  sources its fruit ethically and fairly ensuring that harvesting is sustainable.

Baobab fruit is sourced directly from local communities bringing about much needed economic benefits and all processing, extraction and packaging takes place at EcoProducts’ premises.

EcoProducts has invested in stringent food quality controls by getting HACCP certified as well as organic certification. But EcoProducts is more than just about producing local indigenous products. The company has launched a non-profit organisation called EcoProducts Foundation. Its sole purpose is to create a culture of caring, serving the community and environment in which EcoProducts operates.

EcoProducts Foundations has created two programmes: Baobab Guardians, a project involving Venda community members who nurture and care for baobab seedlings until they are strong enough to survive in the wild. The second programme is Boabab Pre-school which supports early childhood development in village pre-schools thus working to break the poverty cycle.

Click here to learn more about EcoProducts and all things baobab and head this way to enjoy the wonderful health properties of the baobab fruit in your own home and be sure to give the delicious berry bao smoothie bowl a whirl.

With thanks to the EcoProducts team for sharing their amazing contribution