The Tagua Nut—Can It Save Elephants?

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN ECUADOR

THEY make unlikely friends. The one weighs several ounces; the other, several tons. One is vegetable; the other is animal. They live on separate continents. Yet, the tiny South American tagua nut could save the mighty African elephant from wanton slaughter. Just what is the tagua nut, and how has it become an elephant’s friend?

A Strange Palm Tree

The tagua nut is the seed of a particular variety of palm tree found principally in northern South America. These slow-growing trees display graceful fronds that shoot forth from ground level. For many years no trunk is visible. A tagua palm whose trunk has reached a height of seven feet [2 m] is at least 35 to 40 years old. Large fibrous clusters develop directly beneath the fronds. The cluster, usually weighing some 25 pounds [10 kg], consists of tightly packed woody fruits. Each fruit generally contains from four to nine seeds, which are roughly the size and shape of a hen’s egg. In the first stage, the seed cavities contain a thirst-quenching liquid similar to coconut water. In the second stage, the liquid congeals into an edible sweet gelatin. In the third and final phase, the gelatin matures into a hard, white substance that remarkably resembles animal ivory.

Why an Elephant’s Friend

As an ivory substitute, the tagua nut can truly be called an elephant’s friend. The ruthless poaching of animal ivory has endangered the survival of the African elephant. However, the tagua nut provides a practical alternative, since its vegetable ivory looks like its animal counterpart, is extremely hard, takes a high polish, and absorbs dyes readily. So great is the similarity between tagua and animal ivory that artisans often leave some of the brown shell on their products to prove that they are not using elephant ivory—an internationally banned material.

Vegetable ivory is not a recent discovery. As far back as 1750, South American friar Juan de Santa Gertrudis mentioned tagua nuts in his chronicles, comparing them to “balls of marble” that were used for carving figurines. By the early 1900’s, Ecuador, the chief source of tagua, was exporting thousands of tons of the nuts each year, primarily for the production of buttons. After World War II, the advent of new and inexpensive plastics virtually ended the tagua trade. Indicative of vegetable ivory’s current revival, during a recent 18-month period, 1,650 tons were exported from Ecuador to Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and 18 other countries.a How is tagua processed and used today?

Tagua Has Many Uses

The seeds are set out to dry under the tropical sun for between one and three months, depending on their water content. Afterward, they are peeled by machine, classified according to size, and cut into slices for use in button manufacturing. Indeed, “ivory” buttons made from tagua adorn some of the highest quality clothing in the world. However, tagua is used for more than just buttons. Jewelry, chess pieces, reeds for wind instruments, piano keys, and umbrella handles are among the varied products made from tagua.

But the tagua palm offers still more! The fine powder left after processing is used to enrich animal foods. It also serves as a combustible for making charcoal. The leaves of the palm make water-resistant roofing. Additionally, the harvesting and processing as well as the exportation of tagua provide employment for many.

Above all, vegetable ivory can make a solid contribution toward the preservation of the African elephant. So if you desire the luxury of ivory, you need not look toward the savannas of Africa. Think of South America’s rain forests, where ivory is so abundant that it grows on trees! Yes, think of the tagua nut, an elephant’s friend.

[Footnote]

[Pictures on page 24, 25]

1. Tagua palm

2. Tagua fruit clusters

3. Crosscut revealing tagua seeds

4. Tagua seed dries to become a hard nut

5. Tagua buttons

6. Tagua jewelry with mother-of-pearl inlay

7. Tagua figurines