Nature’s Nectar Arenga Pinnata Palm Sugar - A true sugar palm organic sugar
Nature’s Nectar palm sugar comes from the Arenga Pinnata species of sugar palm trees which grow naturally in the beautiful rain forests of North Sulawesi in Indonesia. This tapping method is a very sustainable way of obtaining this delicious sap from which we get our delicious organic palm sugar. Palm Sugar has been tra
ditionally used as a health sugar in India and China. In 1409 it was imported into China from Indonesia, for the Chinese Emperor to use as a diabetes sugar. Sugar palm trees grow in forests with a wide diversity of trees and plants. Sugar palm can be tapped daily ensuring continuous production and incomes for the farmers versus the seasonal harvesting of sugar cane. Palm oil is an ingredient used in a wide range of packaged food and cosmetics products such as cookies, bread, cereal, soap, and is one of the main causes of rainforest destruction. Palm oil is usually labelled as "vegetable oil" and many consumers do not realise these products have helped to destroy a rainforest, as forest land is turned into monoculture plantations to grow the world's cheapest vegetable oil. Palm oil plantations have taken land from indigenous people, polluted air and rivers, and threatened the survival of the orang-utans and other rare animals. There are different types of palm sugar namely the light yellow & pale brown from Vietnam and Thailand, and the darker, smoky version in Malaysia and Indonesia. Each has a unique sweetness and fragrance. Indonesian palm sugar is dark brown in colour and has a beautiful caramel taste. Some commercial palm sugar is made with cane sugar. Too light a colour can be an indication that white sugar has been added in the palm sugar. Make sure you read the food label - ingredients and nutrition information. Sugar palms can also help the environment due of their deep root system, they can grow on steepest slopes and are effective in preventing landslides. They do not need to take over agriculture land and they provide water sheds. They can survive in drought and continue to produce sap in dry spells. The trees require no pesticide, fertiliser, and little water. Sugar palm is really a magic tree, from the roots to the leaves, every bit is beneficial for people. Sugar palm can provide 60 different useful products. Sap is used to make sugar, vinegar, alcohol & bio-ethanol. The leaf sheath is used to make durable rope that is sea water and fire resistant. Palm cabbage and buds served in salad or cooked. The wood is used for flooring and furniture. The root is a useful insect repellent. High-quality fibres are used in the bodies of luxury cars. The sap is boiled, stirred and cooked down to a caramel-like paste before being poured into moulds to cool and harden into palm sugar cakes, cylinders, or blocks. The manufacturing process is not highly processed at all. The sugar has a deliciously caramel flavour with earthy and nutty sweet notes. Nutritionally, palm sugar is a very good source of a number of key minerals, vitamins, including potassium, magnesium, and amino acids such as arginine that boost the immune system. A low glycemic index (GI) rating under 30 makes palm sugar one of the lowest GI ratings for a natural sugar that is available. Palm sugar contains protein, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium in beneficial quantities which are not present in refined sugars. We have had the sugar tested by Silliker laboratories in Sydney to verify the mineral content of the product which is reflected on the back of the packaging. It’s the type of sugar you can slap onto your fruit salad or dip fruit into or lace your cereal with. It’s actually good for you! It’s really great in your coffee and makes yogurt and custard taste quite special. It’s perfect for baking, curries and smoothies. Willie Smits
Environmentalist Dr Willie Smits explains that the production of palm sugar from its palm sugar factory in Indonesia can use sugar palm to generate energy, create sugar and protect
the rain forests. To many he is known as the “guy who is saving orang-utans”, and while that is true, his work is much more complicated than that. Having worked for years in the forests and trying to rebuild orang-utan populations across Indonesia, Willie now is focussing not only on rebuilding the natural habitat of orang-utans but also helping local people find better options to survive. In 2007 he opened the first palm-sugar factory that uses geothermal steam energy to turn sugar palm into sugar and ethanol. At the same time, he is providing local communities
alternatives and incentives to protect the forests by precessing sugar plam juice. Local migrants join a co-operative and sign a declaration that in return for the processing of their palm
juice they will no longer take timber from protected forests and will also protect the local wildlife. Using a local justice system within the cooperative, Willie has achieved both
economic and political legitimacy. Villagers participating have a 2.5 times higher salary than their average peers and the democratic process with the cooperative is building trust throughout the community thus reducing violence and corruption. By returning cash, control and power to local villagers, Willie has found a way to create more stable communities, reduce corruption and restore ecosystems around the world. Colombia is now one of the top new countries interested in adopting Willie’s model.
“Make villagers your partners and nature will come back.”
With the motto “People, Planet, Profit”, Masarang Foundation aims to achieve its goal to save the environment through the active role of the local people & farmers.
