Coconuts, Income and Equity in Asia

The poverty reduction project operated by the International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT) has been helping coconut farmers improve their standard of living. In the Philippines, about 3.4 million farmers depend directly on what has been called the ‘Tree of Life.’ Partners at a diverse range of pilot sites undertake a four-pronged approach to improving community livelihoods: first, the production and marketing of high-value products from all parts of the coconut; second, growing cash crops and extra food between the coconuts; third, the production of livestock and fodder; and fourth, the establishment of nurseries managed by the community to provide high-quality seedlings that enable farmers to diversify while at the same time conserving coconut diversity. It has been shown that diversification will ultimately improve the livelihood of coconut farmers.

In Thailand, one family depends entirely on coconut farming. It seems that all parts of the coconut tree, especially the fruit, can be put into good use. Aromatic young coconuts can be sold directly as ready-to-drink nuts, and the husk can be used for other purposes. From the sap collected from the MAWA hybrids, coconut sugar can be obtained, which fetches reasonable prices in the market. A young and thriving business from coconut is virgin coconut oil (VCO) production. Having a good life keeps Thai farmers motivated in maintaining their coconut farms.

To read more updates from COGENT, visit the Coconut Google Groups at http://groups.google.com/group/coconut/web/poverty-reduction?hl=en. Read the news article at http://news.bioversityinternational.org/index.php?itemid=1739.