Skip to main content

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.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Almond milk: more harm than good?

Is your morning coffee costing the lives of billions of bees? There's no denying it- plant-based milk is everywhere. In 2018, there was uproar in the US as a shortage of the popular oat milk brand 'Oatly' broke out, due to sales growing faster than even the company expected.  Demand for cow's milk is falling as people begin to choose alternative milks such as coconut, soya and even pea. However, this isn't without causing some controversy, of course. One plant milk in particular has come under fire recently, due to claims that its production is causing the deaths of billions of honey bees. Now, I'm not saying that we should just give up and switch back to drinking cow's milk. The 2018 University of Oxford study shows that dairy milk produces almost three times more greenhouse gasses than any milk alternative available.   So whichever plant milk you choose, it's still so much better for the environment than dairy. But if you're an almond milk lo...
3 comments
Read more

Lockdown Baking Series: The 5th and final bake- Cinnamon rolls

As lockdown measures start to ease and we begin to return to some form of 'normal' life, it felt right to bring the Lockdown Baking Series to a close. But I wanted to end it on a (sugar) high, and what better way to do that than with cinnamon rolls? For years I've been using the excuse that recipes that use enriched dough (a classic bread dough with ingredients such as butter added) can't be made vegan and be just as good, because they wouldn't have the same richness that dairy and eggs bring. However, when I discovered these cinnamon rolls, I was proven wrong.    I first discovered this recipe when I had a craving for cinnamon rolls during Veganuary, and I haven't looked back since. They're just as soft and light, and even with plant-based margarine, they still taste surprisingly buttery. Now I know that a lot of people think the only suitably topping for cinnamon rolls is cream cheese frosting, which of course makes them more difficult to make vegan. Howev...
2 comments
Read more

Veganuary: Butternut Squash, Chickpea and Spinach Curry

For the second year running, I'm taking part in Veganuary , where you pledge to live vegan for the whole month of January. After last year, I resorted back to a fully veggie diet, but this year I'm going to try and stick to a vegan diet beyond January. I'm using this month to try out lots of new recipes, and revisit some of my favourites, so I thought I'd share some of the best with you guys! First up is a delicious, comforting curry that you won't miss having meat in. The textures of the chickpeas adds a feeling of meatiness and are a good source of protein too. I adapted this recipe from Eat Like a Girl's post , which alone is a very delicious curry. However, I added in a couple more spices to give it an extra depth of flavour. Also, I like to swap out the butternut squash for sweet potato sometimes, to change it up a bit. Make sure to chop up the spinach well, otherwise it can form quite large clumps once it's wilted. If you're not a big fan of spinac...
2 comments
Read more