Demand for coconut oil is on the rise: the product has become a popular alternative to palm oil used in chocolates, pastries and desserts. Due to its monoculture cultivation and displacement of valuable forest ecosystems, palm oil is an enormous sustainability risk. To ensure that coconut farming does not result in the same risks as palm oil farming, HALBA has established a direct supply chain for coconut oil from Ivory Coast and promotes sustainable coconut cultivation there through dynamic agroforestry (DAF). In addition, coconut farmers are supported in obtaining Fairtrade and organic certification. Compared to Asia, where the majority of coconuts are grown, Ivory Coast is an ideal country of origin thanks to significantly shorter transport routes.
Between 2021 and 2024, HALBA and Coop, together with their partners Pro Fairtrade AG, Plantations Modernes de la Côte d’Ivoire (PMCI), Nutriswiss and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), established a transparent supply chain for certified Fairtrade and organic coconut oil – from the cultivation of coconuts to the production of coconut oil. This saw the establishment of the Scoops Cocobio cooperative, which is now certified as both Fairtrade and organic and has 157 members.
The project also aims to successfully encourage around 100 farmers to convert their coconut cultivation to dynamic agroforestry (DAF). This combines the cultivation of coconut trees with timber, fruit and cocoa trees as well as shrubs and food crops such as manioc, beans, maize and pineapple. The project makes a significant contribution to food security for the farmers involved, as well as increasing and diversifying their income. The local partner PMCI plans to convert 46 hectares of its industrial coconut plantation to DAF by the end of 2027. The project is being financially supported by the Coop Sustainability Fund.
