OCOP: Breadfruit

Breadfruit, has been a staple food in the Pacific Islands region for over 3000 years with hundreds of cultivars. There are three species of the breadfruit tree: Artocarpus altilis, Artocarpus camansi and Artocarpus mariannensis. It is rich in starch and can be made into flour and used in place of wheat. The sticky latex from the tree is used as a traditional medicine for diarrhea and skin infection, the flowers are burned for use as mosquito repellent and the termite-resistant wood is used for construction of homes and canoes. There are many reasons for Pacific farmers to get involved in producing breadfruit: it is highly nutritious; it can be used as an import substitute for wheat, rice and potatoes; there are untapped export markets; it is natural disaster- and climate change-resilient; and there is an expanding body of knowledge on growing, agro-processing and end-product development which farmers can now access.