Faced with global coconut stockout, Barry Callebaut and corporates launch industry's first sustainable charter
Improving coconut cultivation and farmer livelihoods
With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Green Invest Asia, leaders from AAK, FrieslandCampina, Harmless Harvest Thailand, Nestlé, and Unilever joined Barry Callebaut to sign the coconut industry’s first Sustainable Coconut Charter. The charter aims to improve farmer livelihoods, lessen the carbon footprint of coconuts and boost supply to meet rising global demand.
Coconut consumption continues to grow globally, increasing its profile as a safe food alternative, but year-on-year rising demand risks emptying shelves of hundreds of coconut and coconut-oil-based products. Wide use of coconut in cosmetic, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical industries has driven rapid growth of the global coconut market. Any supply chain disruption could affect hundreds of products spanning food to pharmaceuticals.