There are thousands of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes all over the world with the potential to offer U.S. consumers a variety of nutritional benefits, but we don't eat them. Our food system is hyper commoditized and industrialized, focusing on a narrow section of food crops nature provides. But entrepreneurs and trailblazers are researching and identifying underutilized or under-appreciated crops to bring to consumers in the United States.
Jungle Foods does just that by investing in the cultivation of breadfruit, a perennial tree crop that flourishes in diverse agroforestry systems. Through a "trees, training and trade" motto, Jungle Foods is working with small-holder farmers throughout Costa Rica to integrate breadfruit into its agroforests, train on regenerative agroforestry planning and develop international markets for breadfruit flour, a nutrient dense and gluten-free replacement for staples such as pasta. Watch this interview with Jungle Foods at Expo West 2023 to learn how this brand is building a market from the ground up and using agroforestry as a tool against climate change, and about the importance of marketplace education for introducing new ingredients.
