What is Tagua?
Tagua is a seed nut from a tagua palm. Some tagua nuts are the size of a grape, others the size of a large tomato. Each palm contains several cabezas (cluster of nuts). It may take 3-8 years for the cabeza to fully mature. The palms grow wild in much of South America.
Why is Tagua Called So Many Different Things?
Tagua resembles ivory. In fact, tagua is often called "vegetable ivory." Other titles such as Jewel of the Amazon, the "Green"Jewel, the Eco-Jewel, hint at its allure. The palms that produce tagua are found in South America along with the Amazon so someone changed the title of a movie, Jewel of the Nile, to honor the tagua. Both the "Green" Jewel and Eco Jewel reflect the tagua nut's environmental charm. It grows each year so it's "sustainable." The nuts fall to the ground where they are picked up, and no harm comes to the tree. Tagua can be expected to grow in popularity, and it is likely other titles will come.
Why is Tagua So Popular?
Certainly the fact that it is a sustainable product makes tagua popular among people who care for the earth. As the 21st century progresses, more and more citizens of the world are becoming aware of how much tender loving care our earth needs.
Tagua can be carved and sliced and dyed. More and more people choose tagua for their casual jewelry because they find the necklaces, bracelets, and earrings colorful, attractive, and versatile. Tagua "slices" may form a cream-colored necklace. Round or oval tagua beads may be combined with seed pods.
Tagua is carved into many shapes, but the animals that emerge are some of the most appealing especially to children. Using a sander and Dremel tool, artisans carve a lamb or a hummingbird sipping necter from a bloom or a leaping dolphin. Who can imagine that the brown, unattractive seeds hold such wonders.
For the people who harvest the tagua, for the artisans who carve it, and for the people who have been trained to run small businesses, the unattractive tagua seed also holds wonder. Having a home with a roof, electricity for the first time, food on a regular basis, children in school-these, too, are wonders.
Was Tagua Discovered Recently?
No, as a matter of fact, before plastic buttons became the norm, at least 20% of buttons manufactured in the U.S. were made from tagua. In the 1920's the tagua nut brought $5 million into Ecuador annually. Ecological groups are once again promoting the use of tagua for buttons, and an increasing number of major companies are once again using tagua.
How Important is Tagua to Fair Trade?
Tagua is one of the most used materials for fair trade products. Both artisans and consumers love it. Tagua changes the lives of people. One such story comes from Ecuador. In 1990, Conservation International started Tagua Initiative. The goal was to provide economic incentives for sustainable harvesting of the tagua palm nut. Today, about 1800 members of Comuna Rio Santiago-Cayapas have jobs havesting the tagua. Other employment comes from the hand-crafted creation of figurines and jewelry, key chains and boxes, Christmas ornaments and chess games by local artisans. Training has empowered others to help run the fair trade business.
