A programme to develop a certified coconut oil supply chain to enhance sustainability and improve the livelihoods of 2,500 coconut growers in the Philippines has been launched. It is a result of a partnership between the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, BASF and Cargill.
The partnership is co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through its programme, develoPPP.de. The certified coconut oil supply chain programme focuses on smallholder coconut growers in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. It aims to raise farmers’ incomes by improving productivity and coconut oil quality. It will also introduce the Sustainable Agricultural Network (SAN) standards as a basis for Rainforest Alliance Certification for coconut production. Farmers have already started the first phase of Good Agricultural Practices training for coconut production. They will be provided with newly designed coconut dryers to improve the quality of copra (coconut meat) and coconut oil. In addition the project helps provide greater healthcare access for coconut farmers to the country’s health insurance programme, PhilHealth. By working with Small Coconut Farmer Organisations (SCFOs), other cooperatives and by leveraging the project’s financial support, 2,500 coconut farmers have enrolled in PhilHealth with a reduced enrollment fee. This will provide new healthcare coverage for an estimated 12,500 to 15,000 Filipinos. “Coconut production plays a critical role in the Philippine economy, especially in southern Mindanao,” said Efren Barlisan, general manager of Cargill’s Grain and Oilseeds business in the Philippines. “The project will help improve the livelihood of thousands of farmers.” “We are proud to see this programme come together. Contributing to the sustainability requirements of our supply chain by helping to set criteria and introduce a certification scheme is a core part of our corporate social responsibility efforts,” said Harald Sauthoff, BASF vice president global procurement Natural Oils and Oleochemicals.
