Haitian Moringa, the Plant that Nourishes, Heals and Enriches

Abstract

Native to India, Moringa oleifera is a species that grows in almost all tropical regions. Thanks to its ability to resist drought and light frosts, M. oleifera is widely cultivated throughout the world. Located in the center of the American continent and in the Caribbean, Haiti has the soil and climate conditions favourable to Moringa growing. This plant is considered an essential tool to fight malnutrition in the country contributing to the dietary balance of consumers due to the high nutritional value. The medicinal properties of M. oleifera give it great importance in contributing to the prevention or treatment of certain diseases such as diabetes, blood sugar, cancer, anemia, malnutrition, constipation, urinary tract infections, and others. Because of its particularities, Moringa offers great opportunities for the country's entrepreneurs and other actors in the sector. Thus, the objective of this article is to give an overview of the importance of this plant and to encourage the Haitian state and institutions to strengthen production and research on Moringa.The interest of this work is also to get the attention of the scientific community to the potential of M. oleifera and to encourage any research that could valorize this precious resource.