Coconuts: more harm than good?

Can our planet cope with increasing demands?

Even though it might feel like it's been a few years now since everyone went crazy for coconut oil, with many claiming it's practically a food from the gods and (something about being healthy) (even though it's actually got more saturated fat in than butter), the demand for all things coconut is still growing. New products are constantly featuring coconuts are constantly appearing on supermarket shelves, whether in drinks, desserts or even loo roll- don't worry, I'm as confused as you are on that one. There's a lot of conflicting information about whether coconuts products (particularly coconut oil) are healthy or not, but we won't get into that side too much. Just remember that swapping to coconut oil or coconut sugar doesn't magically mean you're not using oil or sugar, and just because it's trendy doesn't magically make it healthy.

Admittedly, I love all things coconut. I'll always happily finish off the Bounty chocolates in a box of Celebrations, and I love using it as a main flavour in cakes and other bakes. A couple of years ago, I made my mum a Raffaello cake for her birthday which had coconut soaked sponges, white chocolate coconut frosting and the whole thing was coated in desiccated coconut. I've also made Bounty brownies before (chocolate brownie, condensed milk and coconut, topped with chocolate ganache) which were heavenly.

A cake perfect for any coconut lover

Nowadays, the variety of alternatives for vegans and those who can't eat dairy is incredible, and often I find that the coconut option is tastier than the original, especially for foods where the flavour works, like ice cream and rice pudding. The Coconut Collaborative yogurt is insanely good, albeit a treat considering it is quite a bit pricier than other dairy-free options (but nevertheless a great option if soya yogurt is not your thing). Granted, some foods that use coconut as a replacement for dairy are not great- vegan cheese made from coconut oil is not the one, trust me- but all in all, it's a pretty good alternative if you're not opposed to a subtle coconut-ty flavour every so often.

So, it's clear that coconuts are pretty great- they're versatile, creamy and add a little bit of the exotic to everyday dishes. But can both farmers and our planet cope with our ever-increasing demands for all things coconut? Currently, it looks like the answer to that question is, unfortunately, no. Every year, the demand for coconuts is growing by 10%, but at current rates, there's only a 2% annual growth in production. And even though you might think that more demand = more coconuts = more money for the growers, the profit rarely reaches the farmers themselves. In the Philippines around 40-60% of the 3.5 million growers are having to live off of less than $1 a day, putting them below the poverty line. Not having any -or little- spare money to put back into crop means it's difficult for farmers to expand their crops or be able to recover crops if natural disaster hits.

Samer Daboul ~ Pexels

But it's not all bad news. Companies and governments are waking up to the problems coconut farmers are facing, and providing ways to help support them and their crops. Farmers are being encouraged to grow other crops alongside their coconut trees, and to begin selling other coconut products so none of the palm goes to waste, such as coconut sugar which is made using the tree sap. The Coconut Collaberative are working alongside Pur Project to plant thousands of coconut trees for free in Indonesia and The Philippines for farmers to then reap the benefits when the trees are fully grown. Doing this helps restore the habitats for local wildlife as well as providing local communities with a sustainable income.

One of the easiest ways to know you're supporting fair farming when buying coconut products is to look for the Fair Trade logo. Some coconut products available in supermarkets are Fair Trade, but unfortunately most of them aren't. If the brand you like isn't Fair Trade, so some research into the product you want to buy to find out where they are sourcing their coconuts from. If the company keep quiet on the matter, contact them to ask why they aren't being transparent about their (food journey). By boycotting brands that don't look after our planet or treat farmers fairly and choosing more sustainable alternatives will send these brands a message that we don't want their products if they can't source their coconuts responsibly.