Book Description

"The Tree of Life and The Green Gold" is an amazing plant that can not only save human and animal lives, but can also help to maintain communities in inhospitable regions and solve the problem of hunger in many parts of the world. It is a plant that can easily grow with little or no care in arid and semi-arid areas and maintain life in communities established in adverse areas as it tolerates a variety of environmental conditions, withstands intensive pruning and is also capable of efficiently managing water resources.This plant produces eco-friendly and efficient biocoagulants and bioflocculants that can be easily obtained and used, both at home and at an industrial level, for the natural biopurification of water. It produces functional foods with nutraceutical properties that are capable of preventing, reversing and curing various diseases, including various types of cancer, produces fodder to feed animals such as cattle, pigs, goats and sheep as well as provides feed for poultry, produces raw material for various kinds of food and non-food industries, is also a useful plant to be used in productive natural fences, as well as can improve and fix soils and slopes.It is a beneficial plant of the environment because it can play an important role in improving soil properties, it can prevent avalanches, soil erosion and flooding which are often factors responsible for natural disasters, it promotes humidity and water retention capacities in the soil to benefit the productivity of the agro-ecosystem. This plant also has the advantage that it can be managed by sharing other crops in an efficient, productive, sustainable and profitable agricultural ecosystem. "The Tree of Life and The Green Gold" is also commercially exploited in different parts of the world as fruit, vegetable, forage, energy, medicinal plant, pharmacology and natural colouring.Nothing of "The Tree of Life and The Green Gold" is wasted, everything is profitable."The Tree of Life and The Green Gold" is a plant native to Mesoamerica that has peculiar characteristics that has been part of the Aztec empire where it rose to reach the state of divine being. In Mexico, in pre-Hispanic times, it was an important part of Aztec culture and had several uses such as food, drink, medicine, housing construction, the manufacture of blankets and tools.In an order of 1620, King Philip III of Spain states that: "...one of the most valuable fruits grown in our Western Indies is the cactus pear, produce of equal value to gold and silver ..."; in Ethiopia this plant is considered the 'Bridge of life' because the stems and fruit store large quantities of water and provide both feed for cattle in times of drought and food for livestock herders, so contributing to the survival of both farmers and their animals; in Mexico for example, it may be possible to reduce malnutrition and to improve their quality of life.This book provides basic and general information about the multiple beneficial properties and the most important applications of "The Tree of Life and Green Gold" that will develop mini ecosystems of self-sustainability and obtain economic benefits. It also provides ideas and knowledge to develop productive agricultural, medicinal and industrial farms with a positive impact on the local economy.