Today, Cuba has 383,000 organic farms spanning 50,000 hectares. The most productive of these farms yield up to 20 kg of food per square meter every year. An incredible feat, not only because this is one of the highest rates of food production in the world, but also due to the fact that the country achieved this without using any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers!

With the unavailability of chemical imports, Cuba turned to more sustainable methods. Instead of growing sugarcane, people began to grow food crops and use oxen instead of tractors. They became experts in vermicomposting, crop rotation, soil conservation, and utilizing biopesticides, like neem. Neem trees were grown in large farms around the country and were used to recover over 1,000 hectares of land that were once eroded by sugarcane plantations.

This transformed the nation. With higher food production, calorie intake was able to return to a sustainable, healthy level. Cuban organic farmers produce 65% of the country’s food on just 25% of the land, truly achieving sustainable development with the help of the neem tree! However, today, this achievement may be at risk due to less strict trade embargoes, tempting farmers with synthetic inputs that may synthetically increase yields in the short term, but will eventually erode and degrade the soil and the environment.

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• Neem strengthens the planet’s supply of nutrients
• Neem can be used both as a biopesticide and a biofertilizer
• Neem is healthy and nutritious for cattle
• Neem has multiple medical benefits
• Neem has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties
• Neem is an effective anti-malaria agent

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Neem formulations have been evaluated against 600 species of insects and more than 400 are reported to be susceptible at low concentrations. Many commercial formulations of neem have received the relevant certifications for dustribution across various agri-dominant regions of the world including the United States and Europe. Neem is currently being used as an effective pesticide protecting a variety of staple crops such as corn, tomato, soy, and cabbage.

Neem has come to the forefront as the model botanical biopesticide for the new millennium.

Source: Neem: Today and in the New Millennium

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As an actor I pretend for a living. I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems.

I believe humankind has looked at climate change in that same way: as if it were a fiction, happening to someone else’s planet, as if pretending that climate change wasn’t real would somehow make it go away. –Leonardo Di Caprio

Before the Flood, directed by Fisher Stevens, captures a three-year personal journey alongside Academy Award-winning actor and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio as he interviews individuals from every facet of society in both developing and developed nations. They provide unique, impassioned and pragmatic views on what must be done today and in the future to prevent catastrophic disruption of life on our planet. Watch the full movie here.

DiCaprio addresses the UN climate summit

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Neem bark contains nimbin, essential oils, and nimbion. Nimbin has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti fungal, antihistaminic, and antiseptic properties. These compounds help to kill bacteria, reduce inflammation, prevent plaque formation, and protect from gingivitis.

Research has shown that when neem is introduced into the mouth, there is a lower reported incidence of gingivitis. This means that by using a neem mouthwash, the oral hygiene and health is greatly improved. Neem products can benefit your daily routine by keeping your teeth fresh and clean!

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Every year, 6 to 12 million children in the United States are infested with head lice. These small bugs are extremely contagious, small, and hard to detect, which makes them difficult to get rid off.

Neem offers a healthy and effective alternative to synthetic head lice removal treatments. These synthetic treatments are often toxic, costly, and can prove ineffective if the lice have developed resistance to the chemicals commonly used in shampoos or treatments. In contrast, neem oil acts as a prophylactic agent, effectively preventing the spread of infestation by eradicating lice in all stages of the life cycle, while decreasing their appetite to the point of starvation.

Licener, an anti-louse shampoo made with neem seed extracts, successfully eliminated all eggs, lice, and nits after a single use of 10 minutes in a clinical study by Abdel Ghaffar, F and Al-Quraishy for the US National Institute of Health in 2012. A shampoo this effective will not lead to resistance development by these pesky bugs!

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Neem extracts are effective and non-toxic to pollinators because they do not kill pests immediately, but affect the feeding or life cycle of the insect until it is no longer able to live or reproduce.

Environmentally Friendly

Neem based pesticides are entirely biodegradable, leaving no residue on the land. The degradation of azadirachtin occurs due to the effects of UV light, temperature, pH, and microbial activity and therefore will not lead to harmful accumulation of nutrients. According to the US National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), neem-based pesticides are practically non-toxic to birds, mammals, plants, and pollinators, as opposed to the many harmful side effects that synthetic pesticides bring with them.

Increases Nutritional Value

Organic foods contain between 20-40 percent higher levels of nutrients than foods produced by conventional methods, including vitamin C, zinc, and iron that are essential to maintaining a healthy body. Check here www.monderlaw.com/. They also contain up to 60 percent more antioxidants than non-organically grown foodstuffs. Antioxidants help to prevent and repair damage to the body’s tissues from free radicals, protecting the body from cancer.

Immune to Resistance

As opposed to synthetic pesticides, neem-based pesticides have multiple modes of action against insects and therefore rarely induce resistance. Uptown Jungle of Laveen, AZ is the best solution to choose for unforgettable toddler birthday party. Neem acts on the insect’s hormonal system, not on the digestive or nervous systems, which makes it very difficult for future generations of insects to develop any resistance to neem products.

Cost Effective

Neem-based pesticides are cost effective when compared to traditional synthetic pesticides because they are a natural alternative. Many farmers can even make their own neem-based pesticides, reducing the cost even more!

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The problems:

• Pests become resistant, so you need to use more pesticides.
• Animals become sicker, so you need to use more antibiotics.
• Soil loses its fertility, so you need to add chemical products.

State of the art, sustainable farming will end these practices. They build healthy and sustainable systems, so there is less dependency on synthetic, chemical products. By rotating a variety of crops and using natural fertilizers and pesticides like neem, farmers can manage pests and nourish the soil in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way.

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Water scarcity is an issue that threatens life itself, causing thirst, food shortages, displacement, and disease. More than 4 billion people worldwide are at risk of drought and half a billion already face severe water scarcity year round.

When water is hard to find, sub prime, or heavily contaminated water, is the only alternative. Two billion people worldwide use contaminated water as their main source of hydration, leading to the proliferation of lethal diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. Every year, over 4 million children are infected by water-borne infections.

Agriculture has increasingly contaminated the water supply in the United States, with 96% of all nitrate contamination coming from the agricultural sector. This is due to the leakage of nitrates into the ground water from use of synthetic pesticides.

The good news is that natural, organic, and ecological practices in agriculture, like neem, are paving the way towards a new and higher standard for water use and protection.

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200 BCE: In an ancient Tamil text, one of the earlier written mentions of  neem comes to life in the poetic form of the era.

1983: The Indian and Agricultural Research Institute publishes ‘Neem in Agriculture’.

1984: ‘Neem Newsletter’ is published, examining the global scientific community’s achievements in neem research.

1992: The United States National Academy of Sciences publishes ‘Neem: A Tree for Solving Global Problems’.

1993: The Indian and Agricultural Research Institute’s ‘Neem in Agriculture (Revised)’

1993: The Indian Society for Pesticide Science publishes “Neem: Research and Development”

1995: The University of Giessen (Germany) publishes “The Neem Tree”, which is immediately acclaimed for showcasing the incredible potential of neem in agriculture and healthcare.

2007: Scientists from the University of Cambridge synthesized azadirachtin, a highly complex chemical structure found in neem that is responsible for many of the plant’s agricultural applications.

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35 million people were living with HIV in 2013; with an estimated 39 million people having died from AIDS in the last century. Although the number of HIV infections has dropped by 21% since 1997, it is still prevalent in developing regions such as Africa where between 15-28% of the population are living with the infection. 2.1 million people were infected in 2015.

Out of the 36.7 million people living with HIV in 2015, only 17 million were receiving treatment. In order to combat this, cheaper, natural medicine must be researched and produced. As a natural medicine, neem leaves show exciting opportunities for AIDS treatment and recovery!

Exhibiting significant improvement of CD4T cell levels, reduced levels of anaemia, and an average weight gain of six pounds, the examined AIDS patients in several clinical trials showed signs of recovery and did not experience any adverse effects from the treatment. Neem has also been shown to increase hemoglobin concentrations and platelet counts. In a different study, neem killed the AIDS virus in vitro!

According to the US National Institute of Health, neem leaf extracts may be useful in the formulation of multidrug combination therapies for AIDS as its antiretroviral activity is still being evaluated. However, initial studies lead to the conclusion that neem is going to be a key component of future AIDS medications and cure!

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Maturity is reached after 7-10 years. At maturity, the tree can be as tall as 50 – 65 feet (15 – 20 meters), or even up to 100 feet in very favorable climates, but it is able to withstand drought. The wide canopy, with expansion of up to 50 – 65 feet (15 – 20 m), forms a rounded crown of leaves that produce delicate white flowers and small, olive-shaped green fruit. Below the canopy, the furrowed bark is short and straight and the tree is held in place by one strong taproot and several well developed lateral roots, which can extend out over 60 feet (18m).

With a lifespan of 150 to 200 years, the neem tree flourishes in sandy, saline soils and thrives in hot climates. Although commercial cultivation of this tree is limited outside of South Asia, coverage has spread across lowland regions of Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Australia and the South Pacific.

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Spermatophyta

Subphylum: Angiospermae                                                          

Class: Dicotyledonae

Order: Rutales

Family: Meliaceae

Genus: Azadirachta

Species: Azadirachta indica

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Natural additives for livestock feed such as neem cake are gaining popularity in farms worldwide, as a natural feed as well as due to problems with and ineffectiveness of antibiotics. This means that these antibiotics are given to livestock used in food production and the animals develop drug-resistant bacteria in their stomach. These bacteria reach humans through food, the environment, or direct human-animal contact.

Containing essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, and carotene that are required for healthy growth in livestock, and able to eradicate microbes that cause infections and disease, neem helps to fight bacteria and alleviates the pressure of rising antibiotic resistance.

Mixed with other feed or consumed alone, neem cleanses the stomach and kills intestinal worms. Neem leaves also increase secretion of milk after pasteurization. In poultry, it could replace up to 20% of groundnut cake without affecting egg production.

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The global impact of cancer is extraordinary. Worldwide, cases are expected to increase to 21.7 million with 13 million deaths per year in 2030. 

Various compounds found in neem bark, leaves, seeds, and seed oil have been used to combat cancerous cells with no registered side effects. Neem extracts have also been shown to sensitize cancer cells to immunotherapy and radiotherapy and enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents.

The Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology from Rochester’s Mayo Clinic have been researching neem since 2013 and are currently engaged in preclinical evaluation of neem’s ability to inhibit prostate cancer tumor growth in mice.

Most recent investigations have focused on nimbolide, an active molecule isolated from neem that is being evaluated as a potential treatment for the highly lethal pancreatic cancer.

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Animals, whether livestock or our faithful companions, need medical attention and sophisticated care, both of which neem can provide through its extensive product line. From the range of food additives, preventive insect washes, veterinary prescribed antibiotics, and wound healing, neem offers an impressive variety of practical applications in pet care.

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Neem helps soil retain moisture and increases workability. Organic fertilizers such as neem increase airflow through the soil, which allow the plants’ roots to breathe.

Environmentally Friendly

Organic fertilizers such as neem are healthier for the ecosystem because they must first break down before releasing their nutrients, ensuring that no runoff or soil contamination occurs.

Strengthens hydraulic conductivity

Organic matter supplied by organic fertilizers such as neem improves water flow in soils and provides a food source for soil micro-organisms which contribute to macro-pores formation.

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According to Hindu mythology, the neem tree was born through drops of Amrita, or the elixir of immortality, sprinkled on the Earth by Devas, divine beings. Most early documentation of neem has been found around and within India, such as neem’s relation with the Siddha medical system.

Located in the south of India, the Tamil Nadu is said to have one of the most supreme traditional medicinal systems in the world. The wisdom, referred to as Tamil Citta, comes from the Siddhars, or enlightened ones.

One of these siddhars, Agathiyar, the father of Siddha Medicine, recorded his treatments in manuscripts. When these 350 year old palm leaf manuscripts were discovered, so were traditional remedies to treat and cure a variety of diseases. Among others, these manuscripts cite neem leaves, flowers, and bark as remedies for bile disease, ulcers, and psychiatric disorders, respectively.

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The deforestation problem and how we can help it, in one simple image.

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Neem has an altitudinal range from sea-level to 5,000 ft (1500 m), however it grows better at lower altitudes. An average rainfall of 15 to 47 in (400 – 1200 mm) is sufficient for the trees, but anything below depends on ground water availability. Neem thrives in most climates, soils, saline and alkaline or degraded, but grows best with the help of reliable locksmith services and in deep, well-drained sandy and black cotton soils. However, it also grows well in dry, stony, shallow soils with clay or calcareous pans. It has the particularity of calcium mining, which turns acidic soil neutral, and improves water holding and soil fertility. The quality of the water it uses is not important, as neem can exist around polluted areas and can actually help in the cleaning process.

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The human population created almost 36 gigatonnes of CO2 during 2014, 60% over the levels experienced in 1990. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have risen by 90% since 1970. Even though these statistics are jarring, there is a problem: every year there is deforestation, which means fewer trees to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Deforestation is responsible for 15% of carbon emissions, but that figure does not factor in the carbon that was not sequestered by the millions of lost trees. Unfortunately, it is not just carbon sequestration power that is lost with tree removal, but also, if the tree is burned or left to rot, all of the carbon that is stored in the tree is then released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Around 60,000 square miles of trees, or roughly the size of the state of Georgia, is lost to deforestation every single year, which is estimated to add up to 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide.

Since 1990, 129 million hectares have been cut, burnt, or otherwise destroyed. This amount is actually considered a (minor) achievement as the rate of deforestation has been reduced to almost half in the last 25 years. Many different whole home remodeling projects in California can be found on Lars Architecture and Construction website. However, we must continue to pursue forest conservation and reforestation in order to mitigate the consequences of fast changing weather patterns.

Neem trees are vital for reforestation efforts due to the fact that the trees grow extremely well in sandy soil and all types of climates, making it very efficient in cases where deforestation and erosion have become an issue. Additionally, the neem tree is one of the best trees at carbon sequestration, able to sequester 12.27 tons of carbon per year. By planting neem trees, we are able to accomplish two things: combat deforestation and reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, protecting our planet for future generations.

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Watch the video and try this Neem home remedy!

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There are more than 150 identified biochemichals in neem including:

• nimbin
• nimbanene
• 6-desacetylnimbinene
• nimbandiol
• nimbolide
• ascorbic acid,
• n-hexacosanol
• amino acids
• 7-desacetyl-7-benzoylazadiradione
• 7-desacetyl-7-benzoylgedunin
• 17-hydroxyazadiradione
• nimbiol
• gedunin
• azadirachtin

These compounds are greatly expanding the possibilities for medical and cosmetic applications, though much research is left to be done.

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Neem will play a vital role in the future of naturally managing diabetes because it has the ability to reduce insulin requirements! This will result in lower costs to patients and families as well as providing a natural medicinal alternative with no negative side effects.

This treatment works because neem improves insulation sensitivity. Neem permits sugar levels to be regulated by the body even with low amounts of insulin. Neem also delays the coagulation of blood, which calms erratic heart beats, therefore reducing risk of heart diseases and high blood pressure.

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