Coconut: “The Tree of Life”

Coconut: “The Tree of Life” Mai Kao Yang

History (in theory) • Theory • 80 million years ago • Southern Hemisphere, Gondwana

History • 4th-century B.C., Sanskrit’s writing • 1st–century to 4th century A.D, Tamil literature • India • 2-3 thousands years ago, making it the oldest traditional crop grown • Marco Polo • Expedition to India, recognize it as the “Pharaoh's nut”

Global Economy • 1996 • Indonesia~ 3,745 hectares 6. Malaysia~ 208 • Philippines~ 3,093 7. Papua New Guinea~ 260 • India~ 1, 796 • Sri Lanka~ 419 • Thailand~ 377

India Kerala state is the lead of production in India Located at the south tip, bordering water and closest to equator

Coconut Management • Highly sensitive to soil moisture • Rainfall total of 1800 mm evenly throughout the year • As little as 1000 mm will prove to be optimum • Takes up to a year for coconuts to mature • Bloom up to thirteen times a year • Continuous harvest year-round • Average harvest of 60 coconuts/ tree • Some trees yielding at three times that amount

Technology • A number of devices have been developed to assist in the • processes of harvesting and dehusk coconut operation • Devices are electrical and/or solar generated

Modern Method Traditional Method Oil Milling

Consumption • Coconut crab aka robber crab • Type of hermit crab • 1 meter in length • 3 kilogram in weight • Can actually drown • Cattle • By-product (oil cake) of coconut after extraction for oil fuel

Most well- known • Coconut oil • Recently start appearing and • is on high demand • Nata-de-coco; meat of mature coconut • Desiccated coconut; dried and • shredded coconut flakes • Spray dried coconut cream powder • Skim milk

Health Concern?!?! • 1930, misconception that coconut and coconut oil are health hazard • Thought to cause heart disease • Is pretty “fatty”, little over 50% of coconut contain medium chain fatty acid, Lauric acid • Once in the human body it changes to monlaurins , which is found in mother’s breast milk • Coconut is the next best option to breast milk

Addition Health Benefits Powerful against - Antibacterial - Antiviral - Antifungal agents - HIV are sensitive to coconut oil•Excellent moisturizer for dry skin•Coconut oil is absorbed quickly and give energy like carbohydrate

Sociocultural • Epic, classic Hindu stories: Ramayana • Coconut hold a high place in the Indian culture, no ritual or ceremony is performed without it • Used in both social and religious ceremonies: worshipping, marriages, festivals, decorations, etc. • Small farmers are the backbone to the coconut culture • Coconut provide sole income but, the price of coconut is determined by coconut oil which is influence by supplies and demand

Case Study~ Coir Women Workers KadakkarappallyPanchaysat Home-based cottage industry 50% are without electricity Majority of the women in the village work in the factory Work every day, except Sunday, Shift from 8 to 5:30 p.m. Work outside in all types of weather Interact with the middleman VaikomTaluk • Small village factory • 13% are without electricity • Employ regular 8-10 women each day • Normal shift: 8 to 6 p.m. • High demand: two shift period • 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. • 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. • Lunch hours 1.5 hours • Don’t interact with the middleman

Result • Doesn’t matter if working in a small village factory or a home-based • cottage industry • Both wages and conditions remains the same for women coir workers • in Kerala • Stakeholder: lack of technology is hurting, however, the women fear • that with it, they will be put out of work

Sustainability • Mix-cropping system • Australia: coconut, cocoa, coffee along with cattle grazing • Ceylon/ Sri Lanka: coconut, tea, and rubber • Coir products: husk from the coconut are bio-degradability • India • Biomass fuel supply average size family, 30-40 palm tree • Coconut oil fuel • By- products: “oil cake” is fed to cattle “The day of coconut as mainly or solely a monoculture appears to be almost over.”

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Coconut: “The Tree of Life”