Agave is a Gold of the Desert
The Agave Plant as a Raw Material for the Future
The English name agave is derived from Greek and translates as noble or splendid, perfectly describing the plant’s appearance. In Mexico they are known as maguey and in Spain pita. There are almost 500 different varieties within the agave family. The waterstoring succulent plant can survive long, dry periods.
The blossoming of the plant marks the end of its lifecycle which can vary considerably in length. Whilst it is common for botanists to observe lifespans of 7 to 30 years, agave plants in Andalusia have been known to live up to 50 years and in America, 100 years, hence its American name the Century Plant. For around 10.000 years, the agave has been one of the most important plants to native Mexicans where, amongst other things, it has been used for roofing, clothing and as a source of food and drink. In Europe, the plant is best known for the production of tequila from which it is distilled. However, the stately agave has far more to offer.
Agave as Food
Syrup can be extracted from the juice of the agave plant and used as a natural, raw sweetener. Due to its high concentration of fructose, it is an ideal alternative to cane sugar and also suitable for diabetics. Furthermore, the syrup is approximately 20 percent sweeter than cane sugar and is rich in a number of vitamins and minerals. In Mexico, the syrup is known as the blood of the gods and used widely in medicine and as food.
Pulque, an alcoholic beverage known as the ‘beer of the Aztecs’, has also been made from the agave for around 2.000 years. The drink, produced through a fermentation process, was and still is drunk during Indian rituals. Today, pulque is a widespread national drink in Mexico. On account of its short shelflife, it is little known beyond the countries in which it is produced. To produce the more widely known tequila, fermented agave juice, extracted from the heart of the blue agave plant, is distilled.
As food, the blossoming flowers of the agave do not only just look nice, but they can be roasted and eaten too.
Further Uses of the Agave Plant
The lignified flower stem of the agave has a great number of potential applications. Different musical instruments can be made from them for example. The lower part of the stems is ideally suited for the production of drums, as its hollowed body and shape create an ideal timbre. Thin flower stems of small-growing agave varieties can also be used to make flutes. To source good quality wood for the production of such musical instruments as well as other articles, it is important to harvest the wood at the right time. After it blossoms, seeds and subsequently dies, the stem begins to dry and harden into wood. If it is harvested too early, the wood is not yet formed. Too late, and the wood begins to crack and rot.
As well as instruments, furniture, professional surfboards, jewellery, lamps and masks, a great variety of other products can be made from agave wood. Whole flower stems for example can be used as scaffolding and as roofing beams in house construction. Rows of agave can also be planted as a ‘living fence’ to denote the perimeters of a given property, or in hillside areas to prevent erosion.
Agave in the Industry Today
Fibre, known as sisal, extracted from the leaves of agave plants, can be used as a renewable resource for producing rope, fishing nets, brushes, sisal carpets, plywood boards, fabric, paper and much more. Nowadays sisal is also used in the production of organic plastics in the computer and mobile-phone industry. As a recyclable alternative to fibre glass, it is used in the automotive industry in natural fibre-strengthened form-pressed parts. Today, Tanzania is the first country in the world using the biomass resulting from the extraction of the fibres, as a resource for renewable energy.
The above is just a small resume of the uses of this sacred plant. Soap, fertilizers, fuel, insulin, pharmaceutical alcohol and much more can also be produced from the plant.
The Agave School in Almeria in Spain
Since the early nineties, the Agavologist, Tim Bernhardt, has been investigating the uses of agave as a material both before and after it blossoms. In November 2008, he founded the Agave School in Almeria, Spain, which also incorporates the ‘Agave Museum’. Besides researching the traditional uses of agave in Almeria and developing products which can be made with the material, the Agave School contributes to, and represents the progress of, the Edget Baandnet Children Centre e. V. (EBCC), an NGO (non-governmental organisation) established in 2006 by the Bernhardt family, to ensure the financial maintenance of an orphanage and the construction of a local primary school in Awassa, Ethiopia.
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