21953: Simidor, re Hudicourt & Oakes: Acacia or gommier (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Daniel Simidor <karioka9@mail.arczip.com>


JHudicourt is right as usual.  The “acacia Senegal” is alive and well in Haiti under the local name of “gommier.”  By the same token it is not an “invasive alien.”  Brian Oakes adds that the Haitian variety is delightfully superior to the gum Arabic, although it hasn’t been exploited commercially yet.  Keep in mind that because of the Sudanee crisis the price of this product has increased five-fold on the commodity market. How can we bring together the resources of the state, our creative labor force, Haiti’s fledging capital, and a diaspora eager to flex its muscles, into an investment/production cooperative worthy of the new century?  The gommier, aka gum acacia, could be a small miracle in terms of building Haiti’s economy!

Daniel Simidor