Peanut, Arachnis hypogaea

The peanut is not a nut at all, but belongs to the legume family and is therefore related to beans, peas and soybeans. However, due to its consistency, high fat content and low starch content, it is similar to nuts. The English term peanut indicates the close relationship to peas (pea = pea) and the similarity to nuts (nut = nut). On our Global Field, however, you won’t find peanuts in the legume field, but in the oilseed field.

Surprising: how the peanut grows

As the peanut is a legume, it also has the ability to supply itself with nitrogen. In symbiosis with bacteria in the soil, nitrogen from the air is bound, which would otherwise not be available to the plants.

The peanut is an annual plant and usually grows to a height of around 30 cm. The leaves are pinnate and the plant grows upright or creeps along the ground. The peanut does not need insects for pollination as it fertilises itself. While a flower usually only blooms for a few hours, new flowers continue to develop on the plant for one to two months.

The formation of the fruit, i.e. the peanuts, is interesting to observe. The peanut flowers bloom above ground and, after withering, find their way into the soil, where the peanuts then develop underground. As soon as the plants start to wilt, the peanuts are ripe and can be harvested.

Rich in ingredients

Peanuts are used as a food in many different ways. In addition to peanut oil, peanuts are also eaten raw and cooked. A wide variety of snacks made from peanuts are popular all over the world: roasted, salted, ground or as a sweet snack.

But how healthy are peanuts? Peanuts contain a lot of fat and protein. Depending on the growing region, the fat content can be up to 50%. Due to this high fat content, oil production is the main use of peanuts. Peanuts contain a high proportion of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These are very healthy for us: oleic acids, for example, can lower cholesterol levels and linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid that cannot be produced by the body itself. In addition to the healthy fatty acids and high protein content, peanuts are also one of the foods richest in magnesium and contain other important micronutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin E, manganese and iron. Peanuts are also a high-calorie food source, containing around 560 to 600 calories per 100 grams.

Peanuts therefore provide us with important nutrients and are an energy-rich food source. On the other hand, the high calorie content of peanuts can lead to excessive calorie intake if they are consumed in large quantities. Aflatoxin contamination, which can be caused by poor storage due to a mold, can also be problematic.

Unfortunately, there are some people who are allergic to peanuts. Peanut allergy is one of the most severe food allergies and can cause life-threatening reactions. Even very small amounts in the microgram range are often enough: people with severe allergies must therefore be careful and make sure that food does not contain peanuts.

In addition to being used in human nutrition, the residues from oil production, known as press cake, are used as valuable animal feed.

Peanut paste against malnutrition?

In humanitarian aid, peanut paste is often used to help with malnutrition. Mixed with powdered milk, sugar and other vitamins, it provides many of the nutrients children need. However, criticism is also repeatedly voiced, as the distribution of peanut paste creates a dependency and traditional knowledge is lost, while large companies make money from the hunger of others. ‘Plumpy’Nut’ paste was developed by the French company Nutriset in 1996 and quickly conquered the market. Nutriset quickly secured patents and also took action against non-governmental organizations that tried to produce similar products locally themselves. Nevertheless, some countries now rely on local production of peanut pastes. Even though peanut pastes can help in the short term and are indeed a good tool in the fight against malnutrition in children, it is important to promote local structures and smallholder food sovereignty instead of considering peanut paste issued from abroad as a ‘miracle cure’ and delaying necessary changes regarding local food sovereignty.

Sources

Umar R. Bakhsh,
The Plumpy’Nut Predicament: Is Compulsory Licensing a Solution?, 11 Chi. -Kent J. Intell. Prop. 238 (2012). Available here.