Ghana Permaculture Institute (GPI) is a company located at Techiman. It is founded by Paul Yeboah; an ex-KITA student. GPI is one of the businesses in Ghana that focusses on Moringa processing and the production of Moringa products. One of GPI's clients is Lush, a british cosmetics retailer who sell products for hair and skin that are promoted as being fresh and natural.
On monday Novermber 16th, we visited GPI for research on the process of making Moringa products and Moringa powder.
Moringa Product Training
During our visit at GPI, we received training on how to make Moringa shampoo, soap, cream and ointment. In Ghana, the cream is used for skin rashes. The benefits of the cosmetic Moringa products haven't been proven scientifically, but are very popular for their told medicinal benefits. This lack in scientific evidence causes our focus to stay on the Moringa powder (which is proven to be very high in its nutritional values) than on the production of these cosmetic products.
Processing of Moringa leaves
GPI has two sites where they operate their businesses from; one is fully reliable on solar energy and one uses general electricity to support the machines. This is the site where the milling and packaging centre of GPI is located. GPI does not dry their own leaves, but trains farmers in building their own solar dryers, so they can supply the leaves dried. Around 500
farmers are connected to GPI for the supply of the leaves. GPI mills the dried leaves with a electrical milling machine. The millingprocess had to be repeated four times in order to produce a powder with the needed texture and to get rid of all the twigs. 20 kilos in supplied dried leaves will leave GPI with 15 kilos of Moringa powder which they sell for double of more what the dried leaves cost them. After the milling of the leaves, the powder is packaged in big plastic bags, protecting the Moringa powder from exposure to sunlight and humidity. From here the powder is delivered to customers in Ghana, The US and Europe.
GPI can be seen as an example when it comes to the production of Moringa powder. Both their designs of the solar dryer and milling and packaging center provide great inspiration for what we are trying to accomplish at KITA.