An ancient tree from India is now thriving in groves where citrus trees once flourished in Florida, and could help provide the nation with renewable energy. As large parts of the Sunshine State's once-famous citrus industry have all but dried up over the past two decades because of two fatal diseases, greening and citrus canker, some farmers are turning to the pongamia tree, a climate-resilient tree with the potential to produce plant-based proteins and a sustainable biofuel. For years, pongamia has been used for shade trees, producing legumes — little brown beans — that are so bitter wild hogs won't even eat them. But unlike the orange and grapefruit trees that long occupied these rural Florida groves northwest of West Palm Beach, pongamia trees don't need much attention. Pongamia trees also don't need fertilizer or pesticides. They flourish in drought or rainy conditions. And they don't require teams of workers to pick the beans. A machine simply shakes the tiny beans from the branches when they are ready to harvest. Terviva, a San Francisco-based company founded in 2010 by Naveen Sikka, then uses its patented process to remove the biopesticides that cause the bitter taste, making the beans suitable for food production. "Florida offers a rare opportunity for both Terviva and former citrus farmers. The historical decline of the citrus industry has left farmers without a crop that can grow profitably on hundreds of thousands of acres, and there needs to be a very scalable replacement, very soon," Sikka told The Associated Press. "Pongamia is the perfect fit." Read more: Every citizen should plant trees for quality life: Environment Minister What is the pongamia tree? The pongamia is a wild tree native to India, Southeast Asia and Australia. The legume is now being used to produce several products, including Ponova culinary oil and protein, which are featured ingredient in Aloha's Kona protein bars. The company also makes protein flour. The legumes also produce oil that can be used as a biofuel, largely for aviation, which leaves a very low carbon footprint, said Ron Edwards, chairman of Terviva's board of directors and a long-time Florida citrus grower. Turning a wild tree into a domestic one hasn't been easy, Edwards said. "There are no books to read on it, either, because no one else has ever done it," he said. Bees and other pollinators feast on the pongamia's flowers, supporting local biodiversity, Edwards said. An acre of the trees can potentially provide the same amount of oil as four acres of soy beans, he added. What's left after the oil is removed from the pongamia bean is "a very high-grade protein that can be used as a substitute in baking and smoothies and all kinds of other plant-based protein products," Edwards said. "There's a lot of potential for the food industry and the oil and petroleum industry." Read more: Superfoods: Worth the Hype? Why Florida? "We know pongamia grows well in Florida, and the end markets for the oil and protein that come from the pongamia beans — biofuel, feed, and food ingredients — are enormous," Sikka said. "So farmers can now reduce their costs and more closely align to the leading edge of sustainable farming practices." At a nursery near Fort Pierce, workers skilled in pongamia grafting techniques affix a portion of the mother tree to a pongamia rootstock, which ensures the genetics and desired characteristics of the mother tree are perpetuated in all of Terviva's trees. Pongamia vs. citrus Citrus had been Florida's premier crop for years until disease caught up with it starting in the 1990s with citrus canker and later greening. Citrus canker, a bacterial disease, is not harmful to humans, but it causes lesions on the fruit, stems and leaves. Eventually, it makes the trees unproductive. Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing, slowly kills trees and degrades the fruit, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Greening has spread throughout Florida since 2005, devastating countless groves and reducing citrus production by 75%. The disease has spread to Louisiana, Texas and California. Hurricane Ian caused about $1.8 billion in damages to Florida's agriculture in September 2023, hitting the citrus industry at the beginning of its growing season. Disease and climate issues have also affected most of the world's top citrus-producing countries. For example, this year's harvest in Brazil — the world's largest exporter of orange juice — is forecast to be the worst in 36 years because of flooding and drought, according to a forecast by Fundecitrus, a citrus growers' organization in Sao Paulo state. But climate and disease have little effect on pongamia trees, the company's officials said. "It's just tough, a jungle-tested tree" Edwards said. "It stands up to a lot of abuse with very little caretaking." Pongamia also grows well in Hawaii, where it now thrives on land previously used for sugarcane. Read more: Superfood Moringa Powder: Know Its Health Benefits, Side Effects What are citrus farmers saying? John Olson, who owns Circle O Ranch, west of Fort Pierce, has replaced his grapefruit groves with 215 acres (87.01 hectares) of pongamia trees. "We went through all the ups and downs of citrus and eventually because of greening, abandoned citrus production," Olson said. "For the most part, the citrus industry has died in Florida." While the grapefruit grove was modest, it was common for a grove that size to be profitable in the 1980s and 1990s, Olson said. Edwards said farmers used various sprays to kill the insect that was spreading the disease. Eventually, the cost of taking care of citrus trees became too risky. That's when he decided to go a different route. "What attracted me to pongamia was the fact that one it can repurpose fallow land that was citrus and is now lying dormant," he said. "From an ecological point of view, it's very attractive because it can replace some of the oils and vegetable proteins that are now being generated by things like palm oil, which is environmentally a much more damaging crop." What about biofuel? In December 2023, Terviva signed an agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation to provide biofuel feedstock that can be converted into biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. "Our partnership with Mitsubishi is off to a great start," Sikka said, noting that the company coordinates closely with Mitsubishi on tree plantings and product development and sales. "Terviva's progress has accelerated thanks to Mitsubishi's expertise and leadership around the globe on all facets of Terviva's business." What food products does pongamia produce? The research is ongoing, but Edwards said they have made really good graham crackers in addition to the table oil and other plant-based protein products, including flour and protein bars. Pongamia offers an alternative to soybean and yellow pea protein "if you don't want your protein to come from meat," he said.  

A recommendation from Egypt’s government – to eat chicken feet – has come under vehement criticism from the country’s citizens. Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, is currently experiencing a record currency crisis and the highest inflation in five years, which has made food so costly that many Egyptians are no longer able to purchase chicken, a staple item. The most recent dietary advice from the state recommended preparing chicken feet, a protein-rich part of the bird that is often kept for dogs and cats, according to a BBC report published yesterday. Egypt is one of the countries suffering the most from skyrocketing inflation, which surpassed 30 percent in March. Read More: Argentines struggle to make ends meet amid 100% inflation Cooking oil and cheese, which were once reasonable necessities for many, have become unaffordable luxuries. Some product prices have doubled or tripled within a matter of months. The BBC report quoted Wedad, a mother of three in her 60s, as saying: “I eat meat once a month, or I don’t buy it at all. I buy chicken once a week.” Egypt is under a lot of strain in part because it relies significantly on imported food rather than homegrown agriculture to support its over 100 million-strong population. Even the grain used to feed the chicken is imported. Read More: Why another high inflation report may not cause Fed to hike In comparison to the US dollar, the Egyptian pound lost half of its value over the course of a year. As the government depreciated the currency once more in January, the price of imports such as grain rose dramatically. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi frequently attributes his country's present economic troubles on the chaos that preceded the 2011 Egyptian revolt and fast population growth. In addition, he mentions the epidemic that followed the conflict in Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine had a devastating effect on Egyptian economy. Egypt is the second largest wheat importer in the world, and the two countries were its principal suppliers. As a result of the disruption of exports due to the war, price of wheat and bread skyrocketed. Russian and Ukrainian tourists used to visit Egypt in droves; the tourism industry has also suffered financial losses. Tourism, which used to account for around 5% of Egypt’s GDP, has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Read More: In the EU’s inflation crisis, the humble egg takes the cake Egypt has requested a bailout from the International Monetary Fund four times in the previous six years due to its economic difficulties. These debts, which account for 90% of GDP, consume nearly half of the state’s revenues. Gulf nations such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have purchased state assets and are aiding Egypt, but they have also toughened their requirements for future investments.

When protein shakes are uttered in conversation, the most common thing that comes to mind is muscle building and gym-based workouts. Considered a staple protein source to grant muscle builders and, to a certain extent, other types of exercises as well. Protein powder is primarily designed to be supplements for the body, but many have turned to it as a form of meal replacement. Why exactly are protein shakes so popular and other they best used after a workout at the gym? What Is Protein Powder Whey Although it may seem like a pretty straightforward question, the answer is more layered than one might think. Whey, soy, plant and many many more are the different options available that can change up aspects like protein intake quantity, purpose and overall quality. To discover what exactly is in a scoop of protein powder, it is important to zero in on one of the most common types, whey. Whey originally comes from milk and is extracted from the curd during the filtering process ain to making cheese. It is lactose-based and contains milk and sugar. It is a sweet choice that isn’t for those who are lactose intolerant. Whey is also by far, the most popular form of protein because of its high counts of amino acids that allow for effective protein synthesis. If you want to know what is the face of standard protein powder, whey’s popularity and effectiveness are the places to start. Read Cycling Benefits: How Indoor and Outdoor Cycling Strengthens Your Immune System Casein Casein is also milk, based but doesn’t digest nearly as quickly as whey. It forms a layer of gel that slows down the blood’s absorption of amino acids. This means that protein breakdown is also slowed. This may seem like a bad thing initially, but the benefits of slow protein breakdown are incredible when looked into further. During long periods without food, such as during periods of sleep or fasts, Casein reserves a decent supply for the body to constantly absorb as your body continues breaking down other nutrients. Casein is the way to go for those who are looking to lose weight and build lean muscle through strength training.   Read Different forms of Vitamin D: Benefits, sources of Vitamin D1 vs D2 vs D3 Pea  The previous two are rather heavy in dairy and that may pose a problem to those with dairy allergies or specific diets. Because of this, peas are the logical alternative that are surprisingly just as viable as other options. Peas have an abundance of BCAAs and most amino acids in other protein shake. Studies have shown that this source of protein can provide gains comparable to other protein powder sources, and even assists to decrease high blood pressure. The reason why we don’t see this rivaling the likes of whey and casein could be because of its rarity on the shelves compared to the others. Read Bodybuilding Vs Powerlifting: Similarities, Differences, Pros, Cons Brown Rice It’s odd that a carbohydrate source can also double as a protein-based alternative. Although this ingredient doesn’t boast nearly as much protein like whey, it contains the necessary amino acids to make it a viable competitor. This protein source has yet to make waves in the industry and many may opt to go for traditional foods instead of brown rice protein due to the comparable quantity of protein per gram. Regardless, it helps with muscle building and is suitable for high-intensity exercises. Mixed Plant Proteins Like pea-based protein powder, this is an amazing choice for vegetarians and vegans. With a mix of hemp, alfalfa, chia seeds, peas, chia seeds, quinoa, and artichoke; there is little reason to not opt for this as an option due to how many healthy nutrients are crammed into this mix. The trade-off for its lower protein count per scoop is its plant-based features which boast higher quantities of fiber and is easier to digest. It may not be the most well-known type of protein concoction around, but it can still promote a decent amount of muscle growth. Read What Does Yoga Do For Weight Loss? Benefits of Protein Supplements With all the options available in the protein supplement market, it’s not hard to identify how versatile a protein shake can be. Mostly natural and brimming with fiber and amino acids (aside from protein, of course), there is little risk when consuming them in the appropriate quantity. Naturally, an overreliance on protein powder will have drawbacks such as its lack of approval from FDA and other official organizations, making its viability subject to individual companies. Also, when taken in excess, its high sugar content and effect of the digestive system are risks that will present themselves, but only when consuming over the dose of the daily recommendation. Read Yoga vs Pilates: Which One Is Better For You? Taking protein through the “normal” meals with red meat, fish, eggs and soy would be the ideal goal to ensure that muscle building is optimal, but the cost to a diet that primarily comprises the aforementioned dishes can cost more than a pretty penny. Additionally, the amount of calories needed to match a couple of scoops of protein powder is excessive at best and may not be good for the body for spiking the calorie intake to such a degree. Therefore, many have opted for protein powder as the faster, more affordable alternative that can be condensed into a small bottle. This beats carrying containers of prepared food for the entire day. The emphasis on protein also naturally comes with the increasing popularity of muscle building. Pre Workouts and creatine supplements are almost at the same level of priority for bulk-heavy routines. The popularity of fitness as a whole has improved: whether you’d want to pin the rise of popularity to social media’s rising relevance, word of mouth, or the introduction to more intuitive routines - it’s clear that the focus on many people’s minds right now is to improve aesthetically, and muscle building falls into that category for many. Read HIIT VS Crossfit: Know the Difference