The document summarizes the history, production, uses, health benefits, and sociocultural significance of coconuts. It discusses how coconuts originated in the Southern Hemisphere 80 million years ago. It provides statistics on global coconut production by country in 1996 and describes coconut farming practices and management in India. It also outlines traditional and modern harvesting methods, various coconut products, health concerns addressed in the 1930s, additional health benefits, and the importance of coconuts in Indian culture and ceremonies. The document concludes with a case study on women coconut workers in Kerala and discusses sustainability through mixed-cropping systems and uses of coconut byproducts.

1. Coconut: “The Tree of Life”
Mai Kao Yang

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

3. • 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”
History

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

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

6. • 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
o Bloom up to thirteen times a year
o Continuous harvest year-round
o Average harvest of 60 coconuts/ tree
o Some trees yielding at three times that amount
Coconut Management

7. 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

8. Traditional Method
Modern Method
Oil Milling

9. • 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
Consumption

10. • 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

11. • 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
Health Concern?!?!

12. • 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
Addition Health Benefits

13. • 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
Sociocultural

14. Case Study~ Coir Women Workers
Vaikom Taluk
• 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
Kadakkarappally Panchaysat
• 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

15. 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

16. • 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.”
Sustainability

17. The end

18. Comment?
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