News

What’s the Next Step For the Caribbean Coconut Industry?

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - October 8, 2013 - 6:06 pm

By the Caribbean Journal staff

After a slump, the Caribbean’s coconut industry seems to be rebounding. But what’s the next step for an industry that stretches across the region?

Industry stakeholders met in Guyana this week during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture to discuss the “vast potential” of Caribbean coconuts, holding a workshop on Monday and Tuesday organized by the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Cooperation, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute and the University of the West Indies.

The group addressed the recent growth of the industry, the varied uses of coconut and opportunities to push the industry, which still faces challenges like pests and diseases and a lack of market research on the use of its byproducts.

Coconuts can be used for a multitude of purposes, from converting the husks into compost and, thereby, into electricity; turning flesh into coconut oil and milk and the use of coconut jelly.

“We need to organize the industry; we need to have people working closer together …We are not looking at coconut only for coconut oil as we did 10 to 15 years ago,” said Arlington Chesney, executive director of CARDI. “There are new products: coconut water, which used to be a `by-the-way’ drink, is now a full-fledged industrial drink … we see more of the by-products being utilized.”

Chesney said there were also more coconuts moving across the CARICOM market, from Guyana to Trinidad, for example.

This year’s CWA has attracted participation from across the Caribbean (including Haiti for the first time) and as far as Tonga and Samoa in the Pacific.

Popular Posts antigua long bay

25 Perfect Caribbean Beaches to Add to Your Summer Bucket List

There’s nothing like a Caribbean beach in summer. The crowds thin out, the winds relax, and the islands start breathing in a different way. The beaches you thought you knew feel new again— stretches of sand once packed with winter […]


The 15 Best Hotels in Trinidad and Tobago, From Hidden Eco-Retreats to Luxury Towers

trinidad and tobago hotels where to stay

From Port of Spain to Tobago’s quiet coasts, these are the places to check in now No two Caribbean islands are quite like Trinidad and Tobago—and no two hotels here feel the same. This is a destination of contrast: Carnival […]


This Marriott All-Inclusive Resort Is Coming to Barbados —  And You Can Book It With Points

new brand for the caribbean

Barbados has long been a haven for adults in search of refinement — the kind of place where luxury and culture blend in quiet, confident harmony. Now, that ethos is becoming the foundation of a new resort concept that aims […]


Related Posts bequia delta caribbean island st vincent

Delta Is Adding a New Caribbean Island With Waterfalls, Beach-Hopping and Luxury Hideaways

Delta is launching new nonstop service from Atlanta to the island of Saint Vincent, opening up a fresh, seamless connection between the United States and one of the Caribbean’s most untouched destinations. The new flight, which begins in late December, […]


This Beach Town Is a Laid-Back Getaway With a Famous Rock, Wild Waves, and French Caribbean Charm

beach town in martinique caribbean

Le Diamant is alive. It starts before you arrive — a winding drive through banana trees and old Creole homes, the Caribbean Sea shimmering just beyond the hills. Then it hits you: that moment when the town opens up and […]


Canadians Have a New Caribbean Island to Try: Tiny, Off-the-Radar San Andres in Colombia 

caribbean island san andres

Canadians will soon have a new way to escape to the Caribbean — and a new place to stay when they get there. For the Winter 2025-2026 season, Sunwing Vacations is launching direct flights from Quebec City to the island […]