Regenerative Coconut Agriculture

Nam Hom coconuts, or aromatic coconuts, are a special coconut variety from Thailand known for their exceptionally fragrant water. The demand for these fruits from across the world has surged over the past few years. To increase supply and keep up with demand, farmers have turned to monoculture and the heavy use of chemical inputs to boost their yields. The short-term of these practices is harming the environment and putting farmers and farm workers’ livelihoods at risk in the longer term. Danone Ecosystem is intervening to develop and incentivize more sustainable coconut farming practices.

The objectives of the project are to support and train 350 coconut farmers to grow coconuts according to regenerative organic agricultural practices,and to equip farmers with basic business skills to diversify and thereby increase their income.

ReCAP introduces several key practices including:

1. Use of cover and inter-crops, which provide value across multiple domains by disrupting the life cycle of pests, regenerating soils, diversifying incom,e and improving the overall aesthetic of the farms.

2. Introduction of bees as pollinators, and with honey production as an additional source of income.

3. Development of three different organic fertilizer formulas using coconut husk-based compost, reducing waste from coconut farming as well as providing high quality organic input to the soil