A food industry partnership has been formed to boost sustainable production of coconut oil in the Philippines.
Cargill, the German Agency for International Cooperation and BASF have signed a partnership that aims to develop a supply chain programme focusing on aiding smallholder coconut growers. The scheme, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, establishes a system of certification for sustainable coconut production.
The first phase of the programme looks to provide training and equipment in order to improve agricultural practices, raise production levels and improve quality.
There are 3.5 million hectares dedicated to coconut production in the Philippines,which accounts for 25% of total agricultural land in the country. The Philippines ranks near the top in global coconut production with over 15 billion nuts produced per year.
