From Ambassador (The Story of Coconut Oil - Visit to WIBDI)
2025/3/7
The Story of Coconut Oil - Visit to WIBDI
Some time ago, on February 25, I visited the Women in Business Development Inc. (abbreviated as WIBDI, www.womeninbusiness.ws). This organisation has various faces, including supporting women in business, promoting organic farming for environmental conservation, and assisting people with disabilities. What piqued my interest was that they are involved in the production of coconut oil.
Coconut oil has various uses, including culinary applications, but is now an essential ingredient in skincare products as a high-quality moisturiser. Here, I was able to see a demonstration of the process where crushed coconut flesh is heated on a metal plate, before the oil is squeezed out manually.
The main purpose of this business development company is to increase cash income for women in rural areas. Women from various villages in Samoa harvest coconuts, process them into oil through this method, then the company purchases the oil at fair price.
The purchased coconut oil is sold in Samoa too, but the most of it is sold as raw material to The Body Shop in the UK. I understand that the buyer wants the WIBDI to double the current production volume. However, harvesting coconuts is labour-intensive, and the lack of young workers in the villages is a bottleneck in increasing the harvest volume. I asked whether the quality of oil is affected by impurities during the manufacturing process, but it seems that it is not an issue since it is treated as raw material.
However, to be purchased as a fair-trade product, certification as "organic" is required. Previously, they obtained certification from an Australian certifying body, but this body can no longer issue certifications due to some circumstances, and they are currently in contact with another organisation to obtain certification. For this reason, there were many drums of coconut oil waiting for export in the warehouse.
They are also working on product development by adding natural fragrances such as lemongrass and lemon, but the lemongrass essence is imported from New Zealand!! They have obtained equipment to distil locally grown lemongrass and extract its essence with support from Canada, and it is currently testing it. The equipment they currently have is small, and they are planning to procure larger equipment in future for commercial production.
Some time ago, on February 25, I visited the Women in Business Development Inc. (abbreviated as WIBDI, www.womeninbusiness.ws). This organisation has various faces, including supporting women in business, promoting organic farming for environmental conservation, and assisting people with disabilities. What piqued my interest was that they are involved in the production of coconut oil.
Coconut oil has various uses, including culinary applications, but is now an essential ingredient in skincare products as a high-quality moisturiser. Here, I was able to see a demonstration of the process where crushed coconut flesh is heated on a metal plate, before the oil is squeezed out manually.
The main purpose of this business development company is to increase cash income for women in rural areas. Women from various villages in Samoa harvest coconuts, process them into oil through this method, then the company purchases the oil at fair price.
The purchased coconut oil is sold in Samoa too, but the most of it is sold as raw material to The Body Shop in the UK. I understand that the buyer wants the WIBDI to double the current production volume. However, harvesting coconuts is labour-intensive, and the lack of young workers in the villages is a bottleneck in increasing the harvest volume. I asked whether the quality of oil is affected by impurities during the manufacturing process, but it seems that it is not an issue since it is treated as raw material.
However, to be purchased as a fair-trade product, certification as "organic" is required. Previously, they obtained certification from an Australian certifying body, but this body can no longer issue certifications due to some circumstances, and they are currently in contact with another organisation to obtain certification. For this reason, there were many drums of coconut oil waiting for export in the warehouse.
They are also working on product development by adding natural fragrances such as lemongrass and lemon, but the lemongrass essence is imported from New Zealand!! They have obtained equipment to distil locally grown lemongrass and extract its essence with support from Canada, and it is currently testing it. The equipment they currently have is small, and they are planning to procure larger equipment in future for commercial production.