World Coconut Day - Making People Aware About Importance Of Coconuts For Livelihood

World Coconut Day is celebrated every year on September 2. There are several uses of coconuts and India is among the top five coconut-producing countries.

New Delhi: World Coconut Day 2024 is observed on September 2 each year to make people aware of the importance of coconuts in poverty reduction and their vital role in various industries.

Significance of World Coconut Day

World Coconut Day holds significant importance as it raises awareness about the versatile coconut's role in sustainable agriculture, livelihoods, and nutrition. It promotes research and innovation in coconut farming, encouraging economic growth for farmers and coconut-based industries. Additionally, it highlights the cultural and traditional aspects of coconut use, fostering global cooperation and knowledge exchange for coconut-related challenges and opportunities.

What are the uses of coconut?

The stem and its derivatives are used to build houses and for craftwork. The coconut husk is a traditional, strong raw material used to make ropes, nets and coarse fabrics. The hard, very dense shell is a valuable craft material, for both decorative and utility items.

This can be used for construction just like regular fiber boards. Coconut boards are even being considered for use in car floorboards. When the fibers of a coconut husk are combined with a small amount of latex, it can be moulded into free-form furniture such as this chair. This is cushioned and flexible but still retains its shape.

Ground-up coconut husk is a popular hydroponic planting medium. This is especially popular with growing orchids and mushrooms. The fibers of the coconut husk can be separated and branded into a very strong rope.

The husk of coconut has long fibers that can easily be woven into ropes and nets. It can be used to cover eroding landscapes help prevent further erosion and to promote plant growth. It then biodegrades without a trace. The fibers of a coconut husk can be woven into durable rugs and mat. The course fibers are very popular for door mats.

The tough fibers of a coconut husk are great for scrubbing away dirt and grime. They make fairly decent scrubbing brushes. These are examples of a helmet and armour used in the Gilbert Islands in the 1800s. They are made from woven coconut fiber. The fibers of a coconut husk are long and tough. This makes them very useful for crafts.

Coconut shells are some of the best materials for making activated carbon for filters.

Types of Coconuts in Worldwide

There are over 150 species of coconuts that can be found in 80 different countries throughout the world. Coconuts are very buoyant and highly water-resistant, allowing them to float for very long distances across the ocean and establish roots again after they are washed ashore.

Malayan Yellow Dwarf Coconuts, Fiji Dwarf, Golden Malay, King Coconut, West Coast Tall Coconut, Macapuno Coconut, Panama Tall, Maypan Coconut

VHC1 Coconut, East Coast Tall, Dwarf Orange and Green Dwarf

Interesting Facts about Coconut

The name coconut is a combination of nut, and the Portuguese word coco, after the face-like image the shell has with the three holes.

Scientists also found that coconut extracts, particularly from the husk, showed antimicrobial properties and were effective against various bacteria, fungi, and viruses in lab tests.

Coconuts, in different forms, are anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic.

A coconut tree can have up to 180 coconuts harvested during a single harvest, but it is more common to produce between 30-70 depending upon weather conditions.

The trees can be dwarf and tall. Dwarf trees are between 20 to 60 feet in height and tall trees grow to up 98 feet and a new tree takes between 5-6 years to bear fruit.

A coconut tree can live up to 100 years old but typically only produces coconuts up till around 80 years of age.

During World War 2, coconut water was said to be used to treat dehydration and as a saline solution replacement and given to people intravenously.

Just like mangoes, cashews and cherries, the coconut is a drupe and not a nut. The drupe is an item that has a fleshy outer around a pit

In many countries coconut trees are called the "tree of life" by the many cultures that have depended upon it through time, it provides sustenance, succour and shelter.

The coconut we buy in the store does not resemble the coconut you find growing on a coconut palm. An untouched coconut has three layers. The outermost layer, which is typically smooth with a greenish colour, is called the exocarp. The next layer is the fibrous husk, or mesocarp, which ultimately surrounds the hard woody layer called the endocarp. The endocarp surrounds the seed. When you buy a coconut at the supermarket the exocarp and the mesocarp are removed and what you see is the endocarp.

The white, fleshy part of the seed, the coconut meat, can be eaten raw or cooked.

The meat may also be grated and mixed with water to make coconut milk, used in cooking and as a substitute for cow’s milk.

Dried coconut flesh is called copra, and the oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking – frying in particular – as well as in soaps and cosmetics.

The coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin B5 and vitamin B6; and minerals including iron, copper, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous and zinc.

Coconut palms are normally cultivated in hot and wet tropical climates, with most of the world’s coconuts produced on small village or backyard plantations.

The coconut tree could not be grown away from the shore without human beings transporting it.

It is thought the coconut fruit can travel up to 100 days on the ocean’s tide and still germinate

The trunk of a coconut tree is used in the construction of bridges, houses, and boats as well as our wooden spoons

Coconut water contains minerals which perfectly mimic that in the human body.

Coconut oil has similar health benefits for dogs.

Top 5 coconut-producing countries

The top 5 coconut-producing countries in the world are Indonesia, The Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and Brazil.

Top 5 Largest Coconut Producing States In India

India is a major player in the global coconut industry, ranking as one of the top producers in the world. Coconuts are cultivated extensively across various states, contributing significantly to the country’s economy and providing livelihoods for many farmers. Subsisting on a diet, the coconut offers numerous culinary uses as well as industrial purposes.

The top five largest coconut-producing states in India are Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

About the International Coconut Community:

As per the International Coconut Community (ICC) website, the ICC is an intergovernmental organisation of coconut production countries organised in 1969 under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). The ICC secretariat is located in Jakarta, Indonesia and is headed by an Executive Director.

The objective of observing the World Coconut Day is to promote all coconut-related activities and thus empower the small-holder farmers and coconut industries in ICC member countries.

"ICC currently has 21 coconut-producing member countries accounting for over 90 per cent of world coconut production and exports of coconut products. Its member countries are India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor Lester, nine Pacific countries, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu, Jamaica, Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire, and Guyana," ICC said in the website.