What is there to learn from a fruit tree about the circular economy?
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Those who have seen the production of food closely in nature, understand the broader meaning and the potential opportunities that exist at the grassroots level. Take any fruit for example, the real magic happens before you find them on the supermarket shelves. If you have seen the lifecycle of a fruit of any kind for instance, how the tree is planted, how it is cared for, how it blossoms, how fruits mature, how they are harvested, how fruit is locally stored, preserved and consumed, and how fruit and tree parts are put to dozen different uses at the household and community level, you will appreciate the possibilities.
Say the mango tree in that remote village of India, that tree is an ecosystem in itself, it is worth much more than the means for shining fruit on the shelf of a mart, or juice inside a tetra pack. For instance, the leaves and branches of that tree are used on auspicious occasions and otherwise from birth to death as part of the culture, leaves are sometimes used for festive decoration, and sometimes in rituals, as well as for medicinal purposes; children climb up and down the tree, as they play; people make houses out of branches and twigs. That tree stands like a signpost and landmark for the village; stories are woven around the tree that makes its way to become part of the local culture; wood is even used in last rites.
The not yet ripened mango is used to make sweet and salty pickles of a dozen kinds and hence preserved for years. The unripe fruit is also used to make fresh, tangy, and refreshing drinks, to cool you down in summer. When ripened, mango either gets consumed just like that or goes on to make sweet dishes and drinks of another dozen kinds, preserved locally for another day, week, and month. When fruit season is about to end, local households know other techniques to dry, preserve and consume the mango pulp right until next year. Fruit at various stages is also processed and used in various home remedies. And when you have finished eating the fruit, plant that seed in your backyard and see it grow fast enough, only to get more fruits in the coming years. That mango tree and that mango orchard is an ecosystem in itself, and an economic pillar for households, it’s a full circle of life. Look at any fruit tree in your own region, it has much more value, utility, depth, and story than just a few kg equivalents of fruit that are sold in the market.
When we talk about circularity, this kind of encompassing and interdisciplinary learning will help us innovate. The circular economy is also about leveraging what we have, preserving what we can, and regenerating what is possible!
Author: Anoop Jha
Image: Author
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