Between Myth and Facts: How Coconut often been Misunderstood

Global demand of coconut food products including coconut water is increase in the last five years. Yet coconut as a plant and commodity is still less understood by its consumer. There is common misunderstanding on this tree of life especially by western community.

1.    Coconut water is different with coconut milk

Too often we see pictures of girl, man or boy hold green colored coconut with straw slip between their lips, drinking from the young coconut. Nevertheless the caption as equally misquoted, that they drink coconut milk instead of coconut water. In fact coconut water is not coconut milk. The water is coming out fresh from this round shape nut in clear color while coconut milk is whitish milk alike liquid comes out from pressing the endosperm, meat of coconut. So it is two totally different things. 

2.     Coconut milk is not coming out from coconut

Again as often these pictures lead wrong interpretation and perhaps that is why many think coconut water is coconut milk. There is no such milk alike liquid coming out from fresh brown colored mature  coconut. Coconut milk contain high 24% fat and 68% water while coconut water contains 95% water and only under 1% fat. Coconut milk has provide 230 calories than coconut water only 19 calories. Both then has different nutritional values then serving way.

3.     Coconut oil is a cholesterol free cooking oil

Contrary to what most of the information on coconut oil it is cholesterol free. It is true that coconut oil is saturated fat similar to those in meat or animal fat but the oil is a middle chain saturated fat which is easily digested or diluted within the body. Animal fat on the contrary has long chain saturated fat. Therefore coconut oil is not causing fat accumulation, arthrosclerosis, hypertension or heart disease.  

4.     No deforestation from coconut plantation

Coconut is grow best in the coastal area and it barely need fertilizer, interestingly salt is its natural fertilizer. Coconut can live and still productive until 100 years and most of the current trees were planted in 70s and 80s. This means that there is no deforestation involve in the production of coconut. Notion from environmental activists that coconut related to deforestation in Indonesia, again this is a misunderstanding against coconut. It is true that the country has a high deforestation rate due to oil palm development but the growing area coconut with those of oil palm are different. The accusation therefore a misaddressed.

    

5.    Coconut farmers live a very modest living

Coconut craze especially the water which is happen in the last 8 years quoted start from almost zero in 2006 to worth USD1 billion in 2015 increase the interest business on coconut. Big beverage companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi invest in this rapidly expanding market. Coconut water which was a waste from a desiccated or coconut oil industries is now collected to its last drop. Nevertheless less been known that the coconut farmers live in a modest life. 

  

MASIHKAH INDONESIA PENGHASIL KELAPA TERBESAR DUNIA?

Kita sering mengatakan bahwa Indonesia negara penghasil kelapa terbesar dunia. Luas kebun yang sering dikutip adalah 3,6 juta hektar. Kelapa yang tumbuh subur di pesisir dan kondisi geografis Indonesia sebagai negara kepulauan dengan garis pantai terpanjang didunia membuat klaim ini lumrah. Jika memang demikian tidak ada salahnya berbangga.

Akan tetapi kenyataan pahit membayangi perkelapaan Indonesia. Tanpa disadari tiap tahun luas kebun kelapa Indonesia berkurang diperkirakan sekitar 30 ribu hingga 40 ribu hektar. Ini berarti bahwa terjapa kurang lebih 3 hingga 4 juta pohon kelapa tertebang tiap tahunnya. Menurut data statistik Dirjenbun Kementerian Pertanian penurunan luas kebun kelapa terjadi sejak 2004 lalu dan menurun tajam ditahun 2010.  Berkurangnya luas kebun terjadi karena beberapa hal seperti alih fungsi lahan menjadi pemukiman, perkantoran dan perindustrian serta yang lebih banyak adalah perubahan komoditas terutama sawit. Beberapa kebun kelapa yang telah beralih menjadi sawit dapat ditemui dibeberapa kecamatan di Indragiri Hilir serta di Gorontalo.

Perubahan tersebut merubah posisi Indonesia dalam peta produksi kelapa global. Kini Indonesia bukan lagi penghasil kelapa terbesar dunia. Tetra Pak perusahaan kemasan makanan dan minuman terkemuka dunia mempublikasikan peta penghasil kelapa dunia 2014. Di peta tersebut Indonesia benar berada diurutan kedua setelah India. Buku Statitik Kelapa Tahunan APCC menunjukkan data produksi kelapa India melampaui Indonesia sejak 2010 lalu.

India melalui Coconut Development Board, lembaga setara kementerian yang khusus menangani kelapa sukses meningkatkan produksinya. Lembaga ini memiliki kewenangan yang besar untuk pengembangan kelapa mulai dari hulu hingga hilirnya. Kini India memproduksi lebih dari 22 miliar butir per tahun. Jauh diatas Indonesia yang diperkirakan 15,7 miliar butir itupun menurun dari tahun ke tahun. 

Luas kebun kelapa Indonesia terus menyusut sejak tahun 2004 dengan laju rerata 1%. Data dari lembaga lain seperti BPS menyatakan luas kebun kelapa yang dimiliki Indonesia saat ini justru lebih rendah lagi.  Penyusutan luas kebun tersebut diperparah dengan rendahnya produktivitas pohon akibat pengelolaan kebun yang kurang maksimal. Demikian pula dengan kondisi pohon yang sudah tua dan melewati masa produktifnya. Ada beberapa versi tentang proporsi pohon tua ada yang mengatakan bahwa sekitar 15% atau bahkan hingga 50% dari pohon kelapa yang ada telah berumur 50 tahun.  

Dengan persoalan ini tidak heran jika kita mulai mengimpor produk turunan kelapa, termasuk dari India.    

Hope from Coconut Sector: Emerging of Young Coconut Entrepreneurs in Indonesia

Indonesia managed to change its economy from agriculture based to an industrial and service economy. Gross domestic product grew more than 100 times within four decades from USD7.5 bln in 1968 to USD888.5 bln in 2014, nevertheless agriculture share to the GDP decrease significantly from 49% for the same period in 1968 to only 10.26% in 2014. As structure of the economy has change so as with labor force. According to Indonesia Central Bureau of Statistic proportion of agricultural workers has consistency dropped from nearly 60 percent in 1988 to 38.91 percent in 2010. Labor force swift from primary agriculture to secondary sector such as industry, construction, trading, transportation, finance and service.

Decreasing in number unfortunately comes with aging of farmers. Number of young farmer or those who under 35 getting less. Indeed it is a global concern, in UK is has been reported that the percentage of farmers under 35 has fallen from 16% in 1990 to 2.8% in 2011. Indonesia is a bit better of 12% but have far larger population to feed means that the country need to boost its food production.

The younger are reluctant to take agriculture for their career. For the young image of farmers are poor, often barely sustain them self and work with dirt. Most of the young prefer to work on industrial or service sector. The young educated even if they originally from rural are prefer to stay in the city for an office job. Concern over this issue Indonesia Ministry of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman who has agriculture education and business background express that his office will develop and promote program to encourage the young to return to agriculture. The program aim to create awareness among the young generation that farmer is a noble job and has same opportunity for success. Farmer are the noble who work to feed people in big modern city which without will collapse. Quoting Brenda Schoepp a Canadian prominent writer, agriculture and environmental activist 'once in our life we need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman and perhaps a preacher, but every day, three times a day we need farmer'. 

In coconut sectors fortunately is not the case especially in the past few years. As many already understand that coconut business is been established in Indonesia for a long period of time dated back in the colonial era. Coconut industry has contributed to the countrys' development in early independence. It is also benefit some of the prominent businessmen such as  Ciputra, Peter Sondakh of Rajawali Group, Eka Tjipta Wijaya of Sinar Mas and Mochtar Riady of Lippo. These magnates linked to coconut in many ways from being raised in coconut producing areas, inherited copra business from their father or pioneering their venture with copra before move to and prosper in another industry such manufacture, property, mining, media etc.

The increased interest and number of the young to work on coconut sector for example can be seen from coconut shell charcoal business. Such increase is confirmed by Bambang Warih Kusuma owner of internationally recognized COCOCHA brand barbecue briquette. According to Bambang, the pioneer of the briquette business in the country, the number of charcoal related entrepreneurs are increase significantly estimated by more than 64 percent in the last 3 years which is half of them young ones.

Prominent young entrepreneurs emerge all over the country and some covered by media. They worked for different coconut products. Toil themselves on coconut shell charcoal related business such as run a shell burning kilns, trading and produce briquette for barbecue. Some are also interest and venturing on a controlled, clean and air-conditioned environment of food industry such as desiccated coconut and virgin coconut oil. Another prefer to work with farmers producing coconut sugar. Their motivation are varied from the basic reason of fighting for better economy. Express and extend their business capacity, continuing what they already learn at the university or college, social motivation to help farmers or continue an inherited business from their parents.

Among them are Helmy Affandi (28) a Surabaya based briquette business run his venture through PT. Empat Sekawan a company he set with Christopher Imantaka and Johan Hermawan his university colleagues. He was still a student at Ciputra University when they start the business. Helmy who was elected president director of the company initially work on coconut fibre. They inspired by Mr. Ciputra a well respected businessman in the country and founder of the university. Ciputra always pronounce a businessman are those who can turn waste to gold. Coconut fibre will be exactly fit into the phrase. The fiber are waste as most of the husk, source of fibre, are burnt. Processing the husk onto fibre and exporting it is the process of creating gold. Helmy and his friends studied at Ciputra University which mission to educate and create young entrepreneurs. Now they expand their business to coconut charcoal business which was started as trader to supply activated carbon factory in China. After run for a while they met buyer for briquette. They then tried to produce coconut shell charcoal briquette. After running for 3 years with a simple start they producing 72 to 90 tons briquette a months with export to Russia, United States and Middle East. He quoted that two of his business on coconut make annual turnover USD1,650,000.

Helmy and his friend start as student but story of Haqqul Bashar are a bit different. He was working in a state own bank when aware business opportunity in coconut. On a weekend he went to Polewali a small coastal town 6 hours away from Makassar for survey. He met some suppliers there and could match them with a readily buyers he know in Makassar. From there he start the trading. Able to make a good first profit Haqqul then go back and forth from Makassar to Polewali. He depart to Polewali after office hour on Friday and return to Makassar Sunday evening to catch up Monday for his office work. Doing this for four months Haqqul decided focus on his business full time and resign from his job. Run the trading for a while decide to apply loan from the bank he use to work. Now he produce white copra as he can see double profit of buying coconuts processing it to white copra and still got the shell for charcoal. Haqqul produce 24 tons white copra a month and for this he employ 14 workers at factory. This friendly bachelor recorded an annual turnover USD310,000. After four years he plan to expand his business by open another factory in different province. I feel happy with what I am doing now, he conclude, apart of doing business I am helping the local by providing them job.

Social entrepreneurship was in her mind when Sandilla Tristiany (26) decided to visit a group of farmers producing brown coconut sugar in the city of Purbalingga West Java. Cindy, nickname of this active girl, get an astonishing finding, the farmers gain little from their meticulous and often dangerous labor. Cindy said that farmers had to climb twice a day several 10 to 15 meters high coconut trees to collect neera. The neera then cooked for several hours to make half solid brownish compound, coconut sugar. She described the work as dangerous because climbing incident happened. Climber often fell off from the tree and one incident occur in a year is almost common. Later she also understand that the sugar has lower quality so will not get better price in the market. She gather the farmers and agree to help them improve the quality and finding a better market. Her plan work program is supported by more farmers which later decide to form a cooperative with 340 member farmers. The cooperative then organize training for good processing practice. The quality slowly improved and find its way to be exported to Singapore. Few months ago through her help the cooperative get an organic certification from Control Union. Cindy passion to make a change in coconut sugar community also get attention from Jolkona a nonprofit organization in Seattle. Last May 2016 she get fellowship to attend three week training for young social entrepreneur in developing countries. She learn a lot from the training, knowledge that she hardly wait to share to her team. 

Mudji Tasrip (26) who still feel comfortable as coconut trader supplying several traditional markets in Jakarta, the capital of the country. He get his coconut supply from Painan and Lampung both in Sumatera then delivered by truck all the way to Jakarta. Average 11 trucks contained 9,000 mature coconuts transported in a month to his warehouse near Pasar Minggu one of the largest traditional market in Jakarta. He is an IT graduate and has work in a finance company before focus on the business that run by his father for before he was born thirty years ago. Recent hike of coconut price in Indonesia due to previous year drought assure Mudji to keep work on coconut business. He intend to work on simple processing with less investment such as coconut milk and copra to get added value. Once in a while he go to the source of the coconut to see the plantation and meet farmers or trader who supply them. Not only to get to know them but understand the situation of the coconut sectors. He believe that now the country need to boost its replanting program to replace senile tree.   

The list continue to Annas Ahmad (35) who produce and sell VCO under an established brand Vico Bagoes. His interest with the product created from a personal experience. His father dr. Zainal Gani is a medical doctor who live healthy life from three decades diabetic by consuming regularly virgin coconut oil. After several years run conventional marketing, Annas start to opt for a more efficient marketing through social media. This year he join an e-commerce network to sell his VCO. VicoBagoes exported to some developed countries but Annas plan to increase his domestic sales. The aim is to spread the healthy benefit of VCO within the country.

Another young business start-up is Abimanyu Lino (32) who open a desiccated processing business last year. He chose to set his factory in Tobelo of North Maluku which he see less develop than other place in western Indonesia. Graduate from a reputable university in Australia and coming from a middle class family in Jakarta not deter his passion on coconut sector. He was not comfortable enough to sit and work in an air-conditioned room as he did for several years before decide to enter coconut business. He then decided to quit and start to work on his plan. After visiting and doing business in some places in Sumatera Abimanyu decided to settle in Tobelo a small peace town in North Maluku which far from luxury he can enjoy in big city like Jakarta. Though he sells his product on domestic market he plan to upgrade his processing technology and aiming for export.

Coconut will keep attract and create new young entrepreneurs especially with the promising global trend for a healthy and organic food products. Indonesia as the largest coconut producer witnessing a dynamic coconut industry development. Nevertheless one serious problem in the sector is the need for national replanting program. More than half percent of the total plantation in Indonesia need to be replant. Keep the current approach of replanting it will take more than 90 years to complete the task. It is therefore new dynamic and technology savvy of the young needed to lead the action. As Minister of Agriculture hope that by involve in agriculture business the young can boost the agricultural development. Their power can re-energize the sector by develop agro economy and improve the livelihood of farmers. Economy is the incentive as strong as or as much as in IT or finance sector and coconut sector most likely to provide it.

Perayaan Hari Kelapa Dunia, Membangkitkan Kesadaran Pentingnya Tanaman Kelapa

Kelapa Pohon Kehidupan

Kelapa menjadi bagian tidak terpisahkan dari kehidupan masyarakat di kawasan Asia Pasifik sejak dahulu. Betapa tidak hampir seluruh bagian tanamannya mulai daun hingga ke akar digunakan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan masyarakat sehari-hari. Daunnya digunakan sebagai dekorasi atau janur, wadah sesajian, maupun ketupat. Buahnya untuk bahan pangan seperti minyak kelapa, santan, air kelapa dan non pangan seperti sabut untuk keset atau batok untuk arang. Batangnya jadi kayu bangunan atau jembatan. Hampir tidak ada tanaman lain yang manfaatnya bisa sebanyak itu. Kelapa disebut sebagai sumber 4 F yaitu food atau pangan, fiber atau serat, feed atau pakan dan fuel atau bahan bakar. Di negara di Pasific terutama di Vanuatu yang sumber daya energinya terbatas, minyak kelapa diolah menjadi bio diesel, alternatif bahan bakar fosil yang sangat mahal disana.

Multi manfaat membuat kelapa disebut pohon kehidupan (tree of life). Kelapa menjadi bagian budaya dan sejarah masyarakat. Di Indonesia, ukiran pohon kelapa dapat ditemui di relief Candi Borobudur yang dibangun pada tahun pada tahun 750 Masehi. Sumpah Palapa oleh patih Gajah Mada dimasa Kerajaan Majapahit menyatakan Amukti Palapa bahwa ia tidak akan menikmati lesatnya buah kelapa sebelum mempersatukan nusantara. Di beberapa wilayah bibit kelapa menjadi seserahan syarat untuk menikah, kelapa juga ditanam ditiap kelahiran anak.

Jaman Kejayaan dan Masa Suram Kelapa

Kopra yang diolah menjadi minyak kelapa sebagai komoditas perdagangan pernah mengalami masa kejayaannya pada 1890an hingga 1950an. Kontribusi hasil perdagangan kopra tercatat sebesar 40% dari total pendapatan pemerintah kolonial atau Indonesia (Asba, 2007). Minyak kelapa memang pernah menjadi sumber utama minyak sayur dunia. Pada tahun 1924 tercatat bahwa minyak kelapa mensuplai 17,6% dari kebutuhan minyak sayur global, kedua setelah minyak kapas (Snodgrass, 1928). Kini posisi tersebut turun menjadi hanya 2,05% dan hampir berada pada urutan terbawah dari semua jenis minyak sayur.

Kejayaan minyak kelapa pada masa tersebut berkontribusi bagi perjalanan bangsa. Hasil perdagangan dan penyelundupan kopra digunakan untuk pembelian persenjataan dan logistik perang selama perjuangan kemerdekaan. Pemanfaatannya berlanjut untuk membiayai pemerintahan dan pembangunan pasca merdeka. Tidak sedikit pula pahlawan nasional kita lahir dan besar di daerah penghasil kelapa seperti Sam Ratulangi, Wolter Monginsidi, Daan Mogot dan lainnya dari Sulawesi Utara dan bahkan Jenderal Soedirman yang lahir di Purbalingga dan besar di Cilacap wilayah Karesidenan Banyumas Jawa Tengah.

Pun emas seberat 38 kg yang bertengger di atas puncak Monumen Nasional, disumbangkan oleh seorang saudagar asal Aceh yang juga pengusaha kopra. Beberapa tokoh pengusaha kita pernah diwariskan atau merintis usahanya dari perdagangan kopra. Sebut saja Eka Tjipta Wijaya pemilik Lippo Group, Sodono Salim perintis Salim Group atau Indofood, Peter Sondakh pemilik usaha Rajawali Group, Ciputra dan lain sebagainya.

Akan tetapi kejayaan kelapa pudar akibat lobi politik ekonomi yang kuat di Amerika tahun 50 hingga 80an. Beberapa pihak terutama American Soybean Association (ASA) dan terakhir oleh milioner Phil Sokolof melalui kampanye negatif menuduh bahwa minyak kelapa mengandung kolesterol, penyebab kegemukan dan konsuminya menyebabkan gangguan jantung. Bagi ASA, motifnya mudah ditebak adalah untuk memproteksi industri kedelai yang akan memasok kebutuhan domestik Amerika Serikat. Banyak aturan kemudian dibuat untuk melemahkan minyak kelapa seperti penerapan pajak masuk kopra sebesar USD66 per ton serta pelarangan penggunaan minyak kelapa untuk industri pangan.

Gerakan dan kampanye negatif tersebut terbukti efektif dan berdampak luas. Industri pangan dalam negeri Amerika Serikat tidak lagi menggunakan minyak kelapa. Ekspor kopra menjadi lesu dan banyak kebun kelapa kemudian tidak terawat akibat harga yang tidak lagi menggairahkan. Celakanya pasar domesik negara penghasil kelapa termasuk Indonesia juga menurun akibat masyarakat kita percaya pendapat tersebut. Saat ini masyarakat kita masih takut atau ragu mengkonsumsi minyak kelapa atau santan.

Bangkitnya Pasar Kelapa Global dan Potensi Ekonomi Kelapa

Pasar produk turunan kelapa global kini mulai bangkit. Ini disebabkan karena munculnya kesadaran masyarakat bahwa minyak kelapa dan VCO, santan serta air kelapa justru merupakan produk pangan yang sehat dan menyehatkan. Bukti ilmiah justru menunjukkan bahwa minyak kelapa mudah terurai dalam tubuh, tidak mengandung kolesterol dan terurai menjadi energi. Demikian pula air kelapa adalah air minum organik dan higienis yang diprodusi alam dan terlindungi oleh lapisan-lapisan buah yang tebal yang tidak mudah tercemar.  

Permintaan akan produk turunan kelapa meningkat tajam. Air kelapa misalnya mengalami pertumbuhan yang signifikan dalam enam tahun belakangan ini. Air kelapa yang biasanya merupakan produk sampingan (by product) pada industri tepung parut kering (desiccated coconut) kini diolah untuk diekspor. Filipina misanya mencatat volume ekspor air kelapa yang tumbuh menjadi hampir 40 kali lipat dari 500 ribu liter ditahun 2007 menjadi 19 juta liter di tahun 2013. Secara global kini industri air kelapa sebagai minuman segar diperkirakan bernilai USD1 miliar atau setara Rp. 12,5 triliun (APCC Statistical Yearbook, 2014). Nilai ini sangat besar untuk air kelapa yang terlihat banyak terbuang dipasar-pasar tradisional.

Pertumbuhan juga tercatat pada arang batok. Serupa dengan air kelapa, lima atau empat tahun lalu batok kelapa sebagian besar tidak terolah. Kini harga arang batok sebesar Rp. 5400 per kilogram naik dua kali lipat dalam empat tahun. Kenaikan ini menumbuhkan banyak usaha pembakaran batok kelapa dibeberapa daerah. Arang batok tidak hanya diekspor, beberapa diolah menjadi briket untuk barbeque atau panggang dan terutama yang marak untuk sisha atau rokok uap ala Timur Tengah. 

Prospek ekonomis juga ada pada industri pengolahan sabut kelapa. Dengan produksi kelapa sebanyak 16,5 miliar butir pertahun, maka diperoleh sabut sebesar 5,5 miliar ton. Sabut ini bisa diolah menjadi serat (fiber) dan remah sabut kelapa (cocopeat) kemudian diproses menjadi produk akhir seperti keset, geotekstil, matras, media tanam dan lain sebagainya. Menurut hitungan AISKI (Asosiasi Industri Sabut Kelapa Indonesia) pengembangan industri sabut dalam negeri yang kuat dapat menghasilkan perputaran uang sebesar Rp. 15 triliun. Industri sabut bersifat padat karya sehingga menyerap banyak tenaga kerja.

Peluang pengembangan industri produk turunan kelapa besar. Saat ini volume ekspor produk kelapa Indonesia tercatat kurang lebih sebesar Rp. 12,6 triliun dari hanya sembilan jenis produk turunan. Nilai ini masih dapat ditingkatkan jika dibandingkan dengan Filipina yang telah mengekspor lebih dari 30 jenis produk turunan kelapa dengan nilai Rp. 18,5 triliun. Jika industri kelapa dikembangkan secara maksimal, dengan melihat nilai tambah dari pengolahan kelapa, maka industri kelapa diperkirakan dapat menyetor devisa sebesar Rp.70 hingga 80 triliun.

Kelapa baik di hulu maupun hilir harus didorong pengembangannya untuk berbagai alasan selain yang disebutkan diatas. Pertama adalah 98,2% dari perkebunan kelapa yang ada dimiliki oleh rakyat, oleh karena itu mendorong pertumbuhannya akan membangun ekonomi kerakyatan. Kedua adalah industri kelapa berbentuk usaha kecil menengah sehingga dapat mendorong pertumbuhan ekonomi kawasan pedesaan tempat tumbuhnya kelapa serta dapat mendorong munculnya pengusaha-pengusaha baru. Asalan ketiga adalah peningkatan produksi tidak akan merusak hutan atau lingkungan karena kelapa tumbuh subur dan produktif dikawasan pesisir. Keempat adalah pengembangan perkebunan kelapa juga dapat mendukung program ketahanan pangan, kelapa merupakan tanaman yang dapat hidup berdampingan dan tidak mematikan tanaman lain. Oleh karena itu pola tanam campur sari sangat memungkinan diterapkan diperkebunan kelapa.

Perayaan Hari Kelapa Dunia yang dilaksanakan meriah setiap 2 September diberbagai negara penghasil kelapa. Tanggal 2 September adalah hari berdirinya Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), sebuah lembaga internasional negara penghasil kelapa yang bermarkas di Indonesia sejak didirkan tahun 1969. Perayaan ini diharapkan akan membangun kesadaran kita bersama bahwa kelapa merupakan tanaman yang penting, baik secara sejarah, sosial dan budaya serta ekonomi. Selamat Hari Kelapa Dunia.

MEMBANDINGKAN INDUSTRI SABUT KELAPA 3 NEGARA

Mari bandingkan industri sabut kelapa di tiga negara Indonesia, Filipina dan Thailand.

Indonesia, pemanfaatan sabutnya belum serius. Lebih banyak terbuang jadi sampah atau dibakar. Industri sabut nasional masih dipandang sebelah mata. Bagi pelaku usaha ini bisnis hebat. Masyarakat belum percaya, mengubah sampah jadi emas. Pemerintah? dulu banyak program bantuan mesin namun tidak jalan. Sebagian besar jadi barang rongsok.Ironinya kita sibuk merasa besar, padahal Indonesia bukan lagi negara penghasil kelapa terbanyak dunia. India diam-diam mengambil alih posisi tersebut sejak tiga tahun lalu.

Filipina, pengembangan industri sabutnya dijadikan agenda nasional tahun 2013. Sabut menurut mereka bisa menggerakkan ekonomi pedesaan dan mensejahterakan masyarakat. Salah satu produk modern sempat didorong pengembangannya yaitu papan organik tanpa lem kimia. Proyek ini kerjasama dengan salah satu universitas riset terkemuka Belanda. Ideal, hebat dan canggih. Produknya jadi, tapi ibarat foto dibawah hanya enak dipandang namun tidak nyaman dipakai. Industrinya tidak berjalan karena pasar tidak siap, tidak ada yang mau beli.

Thailand lain lagi. Industri kelapa Thailand didominasi produk pangan kelapa. Karena kuat pariwisatanya, Thailand mendorong industri sabutnya untuk souvenir. Hasilnya, souvenirnya terkesan tidak alami dan otentik. Ia berkembang karena dorongan ekonomi semata, komodifikasi. Padahal mahakarya seni dilahirkan murni untuk tujuan seni itu sendiri. Keindahan souvenirnya setengah-setengah. Ibarat foto dibawah jenis kelamin tidak jelas, laki-laki iya tapi lenggak dan pengakuannya wanita.

Selamat berakhir pekan Sahabat Kelapa Indonesia dimanapun anda berada...

Asian and Pacific Coconut Community Publications

Asian and Pacific Coconut Community is an intergovernmental organization based in Jakarta work to promote, coordinate and harmonize all activities of the coconut industry which sustains the lives of millions of small farmers as well as those engaged in production, processing and marketing of coconut products. The vision is to improve the socio-economic conditions of all stakeholders of the coconut industry in the member countries, particularly the small coconut farmers.

APCC which was established under the aegis of  the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) published several publication include monthly newsletter Cocommunity, semi-annual magazine Cocoinfo and scientific journal CORD. To get information about the publications or to subscribe please visit the website and contact APCC secretariat www.apccsec.org.