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http://peacecorps.mtu.edu/resources/studentprojects/moringa.htm
Moringa oleifera is a fast growing, aesthetically pleasing small tree adapted to arid, sandy conditions. The species is characterized by its long, drumstick shaped pods that contain its seeds. Within the first year of growth, moringa has been shown to grow up to 4 meters and can bear fruit within the same first year (Folkard and Sutherland, 1996). Virtually every part of the tree is beneficial in some way, which is of great importance in areas where people have a direct dependence on trees, crops and animals for their livelihood. The studies that have been performed on moringa have taken place primarily in India and Africa, but it seems that there may be a growing interest in the cultivation possibilities in the more humid tropics, including Central and South America. Depending on the purpose and quantity desired, moringa can be grown in a nursery as a community project or on a smaller scale at the family level. It can function as windbreaks for erosion control, live fences, as an ornamental or intercropped to provide semi-shade to species requiring less direct sunlight
According to the research I have done, the benefits of Moringa oleifera are almost too numerous to name. However, several benefits seem to be repeated again and again, therefore leading me to believe these are the most important and useful in extreme situations, like drought conditions in arid regions or areas in the wet tropics experiencing rapid rates of deforestation. Moringa is naturalized in Tanzania, Nicaragua, Malawi, Brazil, Niger, Indonesia and Senegal (Optima of Africa, Ltd.). The problems in these types of environments are plentiful: lack of food during the dry season, lack of fodder for animals, reduced amounts of firewood, poor nutrition and unsanitary drinking water, to name a few. Can moringa solve all of the tropical world's problems? Definitely not. Can it be integrated into agroforestry systems to raise the quality of life even just a little? Hopefully.