Amazing Cactus
There is a recent report
(Dec 2017) written by Katie Valentine entitled “We’ll all be eating cactus in
the future thanks to climate change” where the Cactus Pear (or Prickly pear),
also known as Indian fig could become a main actor on the food chain of humans
in the future.
Quoting Katie’s: “Being
undemanding and easy to grow, it can thrive in hot, dry weather and even help
the growth of other plants in dry regions with degraded soil. Native to Mexico,
one of the few places that regularly eats prickly pear pads – or nopales, as
well as the plant’s fruit, the pads are grilled or served in salads, tacos and
other dishes while the fruit is typically eaten raw or made into jams, juices
or gelato. The prickly pear’s resilience is a rare
piece of climate-related good news when it comes to crops. The unpredictable
rainfall and temperatures that come with climate change have the potential to
disrupt the production of cocoa, coffee, and even corn and wheat. But prickly pear, as well as standing firm in the face of
climate change, may even have the potential to help fight it: researchers in
Mexico have been looking into ways to turn the cactus’ tough, spiny skin into
renewable biogas. According
with FAO, for those regions where hot and dry is becoming more and more the
norm, FAO is going to continue to press for more prickly pear cultivation.