The coconut tree, AKA the tree of life to Filipinos, is remarkable. It ranks up some pretty impressive stats all by itself. A single tree can produce around 75 coconuts each year. Coconut fruit and sap are packed with nutrients, but equally the plants are important for fuel and building materials. Every year 61 million tonnes of coconuts are produced globally.

But coconuts are also remarkable for another reason. Sustainability is a huge buzz word in many circles at the moment and can be overused as a term. In general, we want to know that agriculture is sustainable (for example not degrading the local environment, or contributing to loss of biodiversity) and we want to know that crops are used fully and wisely. And that is where the coconut tree’s wide use is revealed.

The coconut tree’s use goes well beyond the fleshy white meat that it produces. It’s an extremely useful plant and every bit of it can be used. From its incredibly intricate and clever root systems designed for sandy soil in tropical climates through to the palms, trunks and fruit itself, everything has a purpose.

We can’t possibly list all of the types of coconut product in one post – we’d be here all day – but we thought it’d be interesting to share the main types of product that the coconut tree produces.

1.    Copra

Copra are the dried coconut nut kernels. These have always traditionally been dried out in the sun, completely naturally. They can also sometimes be dried in kilns and other air drying methods are used in different places in the world. It is copra that gives us coconut oil which is extracted from it.

The oil that comes from copra is really quite remarkable stuff. It is jam-packed with nutrients in a way many other oils aren’t. This oil melts at a relatively low temperature and has a beautiful neutral taste. As such we use it in cooking but also in things such as beauty products.

Even better, what’s left over when the oil is extracted for human use is known as a coconut cake. This is a concentrated feed that is used for livestock.

2.    Coconut fibre/coir

When you think of a coconut you may well think of the hairy chappie hugging the white ball of deliciousness. That hair, which is a fibre surrounding the husk and contained within the outer shell of the coconut when it’s on the tree, is the coir which is useful for all sorts of things.

From ropes to brushes to doormats, coconut fibre or coir doesn’t go to waste.

3.    Coconut peat

When a coconut falls from the tree it is a large green orb. It’s only when you crack inside that you find the hairy husk. In amongst the husk fibre (or coir) is pith called coconut peat.

This pith isn’t fibrous like the coir, and it’s lightweight and spongy. Gardeners rave about it as it helps to improve soil and, with its naturally anti-fungal properties, it is great for all sorts of horticultural endeavours. Being 100% organic and naturally biodegradable it’s a great choice. Using coconut peat ensures no part of the coconut fruit is wasted.

4.    Coconut charcoal and activated carbon

Coconut trees have long been a source of fuel for the communities in which they grow. By burning the kernel, there is fuel. However, specifically, coconut charcoal is an excellent product of the coconut tree, coming from the husk when it is burned. However, beyond fuel, coconut charcoal is used in the beauty industry as well as in traditional medicine. It can be used for water filtration and draws out toxins.

5.    Coconut flesh or meat and coconut water

Desiccated, flaked, or however you like it, the meat of the coconut is perhaps its most recognisable product. Inside the coconut kernel, inside the flesh, is coconut water. Long enjoyed as a drink, coconut water mixes with the coconut flesh to produce coconut milk. The beautiful white flesh of the coconut, along with the remaining coconut water, is used in lots of different ways.

At The Coconut Company we use the flesh of the coconut to make all sorts of different delicious products including:

·        Coconut milk powder: Used to make divine dairy-free vegan lattes or smoothies.

·        Coconut flour: Used for gluten free and low carb baking.

·        MCT powder: Used to aid weight loss and support muscle building.

And of course, it is the flesh of the coconut that lends the glorious taste to our coconut snacks.

6.    Coconut oil

From copra we get coconut oil. As we say, coconut oil is wonderful for cooking with, and can also be used in products such as shampoo bars. This nutrient dense oil is much-loved by many and once you’ve become a fan you’ll be looking for lots of different ways to use it beyond cooking alone.

7.    Coconut sap

Coconut sap is collected from the flower bud of the coconut palm and is used in so many different ways. It’s used to make drinks and alcohol in many local communities. It’s also thanks to the sap that we have so many wonderful coconut products including:

·        Coconut vinegar: Find out more about using coconut vinegar and exactly what it is.

·        Coconut sugar: Discover more about coconut sugar and how to use it in your recipes.

·        Coconut nectar: Gooey like syrup, but nutrient dense like honey whilst being vegan, coconut nectar is delicious sweetness useful in lots of recipes.

·        Coconut aminos: Fabulous vegan flavoursome sauces to take your cooking to the next level.

8.    Palm fronds

It doesn’t stop there. As yet we’ve not mentioned the palm fronds. These too have a use and are very important in local communities where coconut palms grow. The palm fronds are used as a building material and are hugely important for creating watertight rooves. You’ll also find that fronds are used to create all manner of things from baskets to boats.

The coconut palm most definitely is the tree of life when you look at all of the different things it produces. It’s really important that those in the coconut industry recognise the different uses and work together to ensure that each tree is used to the fullness of its life so that it really is as sustainable as it seems.