Maharaj believes that India—although a major global food producer—already has the capacity and support in agriculture, formal and social structures, to easily implement a plant propagation, dissemination and planting campaign across the country. It will not only add a primary food source for the Indian people but also, at that scale and acceptance, create the opportunity for a wave of entrepreneurship and new agri-food processing and product development for export.

Breadfruit is already popular in the coastal belt areas of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa.

We understand that you’ve given away thousands of Breadfruit trees. What drives you into playing a part in this noble endeavour?

We are citizens generally concerned about the sustainability of livelihoods, the disenfranchised and families finding difficulty in feeding themselves. Put together, it is our civil efforts to ensure that we all can be food secure and coexist with respect for each other’s circumstances.

This action not only seeks to provide Breadfruit trees to families most deserving of the food supply but has also given hundreds to the prison, university, schools, other public spaces as well as awareness and education activities where people, generally, will eventually be able to freely access the food source.

How do you distribute breadfruit within Trinidad and Tobago? Does it go out of the island as well?

T&T is a small place compared to India. We basically rely on social media, features from mainstream media and other like-minded stakeholder groups to make people aware of our effort, oftentimes convincing them of the need to volunteer. This approach has allowed us to reach communities and families beyond our own geographic reach.