Partnership Promotes Coconut Sustainability In Philippines

U.S. food producer and marketer Cargill has partnered with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and chemical company BASF to develop a certified sustainable coconut oil supply chain in the Philippines. The goal of the partnership, which is co-financed by a German government agency, is to enhance sustainability and improve the livelihoods of 2,500 coconut growers by improving productivity and coconut oil quality. The initiative provides farmers with newly designed coconut dryers to improve the quality of copra (coconut meat) and coconut oil, and provides better access to health insurance. About 3.5 million hectares are dedicated to coconut production in the Philippines, a quarter of the total agricultural land.