Education: tropical fruit
Let’s learn about where these fruit come from, and how they’re grown and harvested
MANY of the fruits you see in shops are tropical, including bananas, pawpaws, mangoes, pineapples, guavas, coconuts and litchis. They’re called tropical fruit because they’re originally from an area known as the tropics. Let’s find out more about this region and three tropical fruits that are widely consumed worldwide.
THE TROPICS
Tropical fruit originally comes from the hot, humid area around the equator that lies between the Tropic of Cancer (in the northern hemisphere) and the Tropic of Capricorn (in the southern hemisphere).
This band around our planet includes parts of
Asia, Africa, Central America, the Caribbean and Oceania (which includes the Pacific Islands).
Today tropical fruit is often also cultivated outside the tropics because the conditions in certain regions, such as the influence of the ocean or heat in low-lying areas, can create a climate similar to the tropics.
In South Africa, the coastal regions of KwaZuluNatal and the Eastern Cape and the inland regions of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provide this type of climate.
FROM STAPLE FOOD TO COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
For centuries tropical fruit such as plantains (a banana-like fruit), breadfruit (large round usually seedless fruit) and nangka (jackfruit) were staple foods in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa and Oceania along with grains and root vegetables. At first, subsistence farmers cultivated these fruit only for their own use. But, thanks to a growing demand, farmers started cultivating them as crops from which they could earn an income.
As trade routes were established throughout the centuries, tropical fruit was gradually introduced to other parts of the world. Today commercial farmers export their fruit worldwide.
PROCESSING
In many countries tropical fruit farmers cultivate fruits that aren’t shipped fresh only when fresh. Fruit is also processed into purées, powders, jams and pickled and frozen products, as well as dried fruit.
This prevents harvests from going to waste or bringing in too little money in seasons when there’s an oversupply (more fresh fruit than people can consume). Processing makes tropical fruit more profitable, while contributing to the economy because it provides jobs for people in factories and processing plants.
IMPORTANCE OF FRUIT
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends eating a variety of fruit as part of a balanced, healthy diet. Fruit helps the body build resistance to cardiovascular illness (heart and vein conditions) and helps prevent type 2 diabetes.
It also helps lower the risk of getting certain types of cancer.