Opinion | Let's plant Quillaja

By Andrés González, CEO?Desert King?Chile.

In the context of World Tree Day, I would like to highlight the Quillaja, an endemic tree from our country; a noble tree that is an ambassador of our native forest throughout the world.

This tree species holds a tremendous wealth that must be made visible to protect it and guarantee its existence for the good of people and the planet.

First, in the current context of water shortages, Quillaja trees can contribute to reducing the effects of the mega-drought affecting our country, as they do not need significant amounts of irrigation and do not affect groundwater tables, as exotic species like pine, eucalyptus and even avocado do. Nor do they require high or permanent use of pesticides, thus enriching the forestry sector.

No less important is the fact that this native tree enhances the wealth of soils and contributes to mitigating the effects of climate change, fostering the renewal of forests and the permanent presence of wildlife. Quillaja flowers are also very attractive to bees, which fosters the development of beekeeping and lends continuity to the life cycle through pollination.

But it does not only have environmental benefits. As witnesses of all its benefits, at Desert King we have tirelessly explored scientifically to find new uses for this species and contribute with the creation of products that benefit people and the planet. One example of this is our contribution to the development of one of the Covid-19 vaccines approved in the European Union.

We have also discovered that the toxicity of certain processes in large-scale mining that are very harmful to workers can be reduced using a Quillaja-based product, among its many other uses.??

Thus, there are more than enough reasons to invite Chilean producers to include this endemic species in their production models, allowing small and medium-sized property owners to obtain competitive returns compared to other uses with a native species that is in balance with the environment and the community while and promoting feasible change in future forestry plantations.