Watch: Jungle Foods on why the future is breadfruit

In this video, Jungle Foods co-founders Paul Zink and Gustavo Angulo discuss the benefits of breadfruit and how it can help mitigate climate change.

Amanda Hartt, Researcher | Data Analyst | Strategic Thinker

April 26, 2023

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. 

 

About the Author

Amanda Hartt

Researcher | Data Analyst | Strategic Thinker

Amanda brings 10+ years of experience in research and consulting roles, working for both SPINS and New Hope Network to track and grow the natural products industry. With an MS in Food Policy, Amanda looks at the dimensionality of marketplace challenges to grow and transform food systems to build thriving communities.

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