100 Fruit Tree Saplings; £30

What is it with art and fruit? Can't they think of anything more original to compose their 'still lifes' from? This one's by Cezanne - and it's very nice - but it's not exactly exciting, is it?

The real thing is far more engaging, particularly for farmers like these, previously struggling to eke out a living from enset plants (aka 'false bananas').

(wikipedia's entry for Ensete plants).

False bananas aren't very valuable or nutritious - but with fruit trees like the ones in this prezzie families can work their own land and earn what they would working on someone else's, with the chance for this income to grow, and with the chance to be the proprietor and to use the fruits of their labour (!) for themselves as well as for sale.

Over half of humanity live on less than 2 US dollars every day. That's about £1.13 at today's exchange-rate. That's actually quite embarassing, isn't it? Any increase in an income like that has got to be a good thing.

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