The 2016 Global Breadfruit Summit held in Honolulu last month marketed the ulu as “potentially one of the most important crops of the 21st century.”
Three representatives of the Agriculture, Community and Natural Resources (ACNR) Division of the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) attended the summit held at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie.
The ASCC delegates were Director Aufa’i Apulu Ropeti Areta, Agriculture Extension Program Manager Autagavaia Alfred Peters, and Horticulturalist Dr. Ian Gurr.
American Samoa’s Nikolao Pula, Director of the interiors Office of Insular Affairs, delivered the keynote address.
Aufa’i gave a presentation on “Masi Samoa – Fermented Breadfruit” and other presenters from American Samoa were Director of Commerce, Fuiavailiili Keniseli Lafaele and Swains Island Representative Su’a Alexander Jennings.
The potential impact of breadfruit on health, community-based economic development, food security, environmental stability, manufacturing, certification and training, green energy and fuel potential were discussed by regional and international experts.
Aufa’i says his favorite presentation was by Dr. Susan Murch of the University of British Columbia on Breadfruit Nutrition and Propagation.
“In addition to being gluten free, breadfruit has a higher protein content than soybean and other crops.
“I envision ASCC-ACNR playing an important role in the propagation of breadfruit via tissue culture and also serving as a training center and avenue to assist with the processing, marketing, standardization, and export of ulu products to the US market in the future,” said Aufa’i.
Horticulturalist Ian Gurr said breadfruit once had limited value because of its perishability.
But today, through new methods of preservation and preparation, and due to the demand for gluten free products, breadfruit has the potential to become a very valuable food crop with increasing local and worldwide markets.
Dr. Fadi Aramouni of the Food Science Institute at Kansas State University, was one of the presenters that Gurr praised.
“He and two students presented on their work using breadfruit flour in gluten free food products like cakes, pasta, bread, crackers, syrups, and sauces.
“They found that replacing 20% of traditional gluten free flour with breadfruit flour increased product quality and consumer acceptability, and reduced the sugar content,” Gurr,
The summit also showcased the diversity of potential uses for the plant, with research into other products produced from the ulu tree such as latex and mosquito repellents.
Gurr suggested that potential entrepreneurs begin thinking ahead in terms of packaging.
He said, “Simple value adding practices such as selling breadfruit that is peeled, cut in to cooking sized portions, and frozen in vacuum sealed packets, ready for cooking, can make storing and cooking breadfruit easier for the consumer.”
“If breadfruit availability and preparation is more convenient for the consumer, perhaps more people will eat breadfruit regularly rather than white rice.
“This can have positive health and economic benefits for the consumer, the farmer/producer and our community.”
