The coconut tree has more to offer

From the moment you wake up in the morning till you are ready for your daily activities, you may have used at least seven products of the coconut palm. Shampoo, a toothbrush, soap, a broom, a spoon to eat your cereals, a glass of coconut juice and, before you go out, your doormat. According to an Indonesian saying, there are as many uses of the coconut tree as there are days in a year. Newly developed uses include cream, milk powder, and sugar. Smallholders produce 96% of the world's total coconut output, and the tree is regarded as a social crop. Coconut farms are usually family owned and, since the stands can be productive for more than 50 years, they are passed on to the next generation. The traditional commercial coconut products are copra and coconut oil. Their price has declined over the years due to strong competition from the oil palm and annual oil crops. Given this situation, the Coconut Genetic Resources Network decided to organise a workshop to evaluate current research on coconut production and the possibilities and constraints for coconut by-products. The aim was to increase the competitiveness of coconut smallholdings. Promoting Multi-purpose Uses and Competitiveness of the Coconut presents the results of this workshop and provides a useful overview on this agricultural industry. Promoting Multi-purpose Uses and Competitiveness of the Coconut. PA Batugal, VR Rao, and C Bong. 1998. 190 pp. ISBN 92 9043 382 5 IPGRI publications are available free of charge to libraries, university departments, research institutions, etc. Copies for individuals are available on request. IPGRI's website has a large number of downloadable publications. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), Via delle Sette Chiese 142, 00145 Rome, Italy. Fax: +39 06 575 0309 Email: p.stapleton@cgiar.org Publications webpage: www.cgiar.org/ipgri/publicat/index.htmPromoting Multi-purpose Uses and Competitiveness of the Coconut. PA Batugal, VR Rao, and C Bong. 1998. 190 pp. ISBN 92 9043 382 5 IPGRI publications are available free of charge to libraries, university departments, research institutions, etc. Cop