Why Coconut Farmers Risk Their Lives To Feed The World's Superfood Obsession | Big Business
Western wellness influencers once dubbed coconuts the new "it" superfood. Even though nutritionists couldn't agree if they deserved the hype, people kept gobbling them up. But what did the soaring demand mean for coconut producers? Well, harvesting coconuts is dangerous work. Farmers risk their lives climbing 80-foot palm trees to get the fruit. And processors brave saws to remove the pesky shells. We visit Sri Lanka to see how coconut farmers bear the burden of the West's superfood obsessions.
0:00 Intro
1:33 How coconuts are harvested
4:44 How the coconut factory works
7:40 Why coconuts are so important in Sri Lanka
9:01 Are coconuts actually good for you?
11:47 How Navik Mills cashed in on soaring demand
12:45 Other popular superfoods around the world
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How 30,000 Metric Tons Of Coconuts Are Processed A Year In Sri Lanka | Big Business
Don’t blame the west for wanting to eat coconuts blame the companies for not protecting their workers and researching technology to make harvesting safer/more efficient as well as not automating the processing
Read: it’s not my problem that my insatiable need will exploit people who need jobs to survive because I’m a tech bro.
@@christopherwarsh I don't get it. Companies are created to meet the demand for a product and don't treat their workers well... It's the consumers fault? Where does the leap in logic come?
@@christopherwarsh You're correct. We should ban imports of these products, that'll teach them. We can just tell them to learn to code, it's for their own good.
@@Person_Not_Known It's both. The labor is unsafe and cheap, implementing safety would cost money and drive up the cost of product. So companies would rather make more money. But if you were to have 2 products on the shelf, the safer one would be more expensive and most consumers will pick the cheaper product.
@@AbhiSaini1 A ladder with some latches and a 15 year old kid to hold onto it is not "super expensive" bro. I don't care what wage the indians are getting, if they can't finesse how they run their business to that little of an extent then it's their fault honestly. Reality bomb for ya: all these people elect to do things the way they do them, they don't earn as much as they should, I completely agree; but nobody here is being "brutally" exploited. Dude's agile like a monkey he'd run up that tree even if you told him not to. You should realize saying that the west prioritizes safety and such more than these people strictly because of finances is just a copout from the other active choices these people make like overpopulating their country.
Here in the Philippines. No part of our coconut tree is wasted. Aside from the primary uses as kitchen ingredients. (Coconut oil, coconut cream/milk, dessicated coconut for baked goods. There are other uses of it's tree parts. 1. The leaves, can be a used for ornamental decorations, bags, baskets and others. 2. The hard stem can be dried and use as fuel/firewood for cooking outdoors. 3. The old coconut trees that can no longer bear good quality fruits are cut down and processed for lumber and is a good substitute for building simple homes. 4. The husk can be used for mulching for plants as it makes the soil moist for better mineral absorption. 5. The outer skin of the husk together with the hard shell is use to make coconut charcoal briquettes used for grilling. 6. Unused coconut water will not easily go to waste as our farmers use this excess to be fermented to produce a by-product of coconut wine called (túba/lambanog). 7. Aside from making wine as a by-product of fermentation it can also produce good quality coconut vinegar. And, with the help of our scientist and researchers our country is now growing dwarf coconut trees that is very much shorter than the regular tree, it also has the same yield of fruits and even more. Plus, our farmers can now easily maintained and lessen or minimized the pest and insects that is destroying our Tree of Life!
oh wow thanks for sharing! that's very interesting!
I'm a bit surprised that much shorter coconut palms aren't already the norm, it seems like the domestication of the coconut is lagging behind in modernisation compared to many other food crops there. I would consider it to be mostly beneficial for harvesting, especially climbing but also pole-cutting, but it would also simplify most harvesting machinery one might try to develop (because making the machine less tall makes it less prone to falling over). more western common fruit like apples, oranges and peaches have been mostly grown short for easy harvesting for probably well over 100 years, especially for mechanical harvesting, and those don't even get as tall as coconut palms anyway. grapes have been grown short since forever. of course it is trickier with palms because you can't just cut them shorter, since they're incapable of branching out, but grains, which as grasses are more related to palms, have also been bred to grow much shorter (I think barley in particular), as this way they grow more grain and less straw while being relatively resistant to wind damage. use of synthetic plant hormones to shorten stalks is also common (that's how they make those super short potted sunflowers you can buy for decoration).
Dwarf coconut trees sounds like a great advance.
That is beautiful! You have to remember the USA doesn't harvest the Coconut. The Coconut is touted as an "exotic" fruit to us by those who ship and market to the West. With todays' prices, one Coconut can cost $3 or more. It won't take long before the higher ups who run the game, are going to make these exotic fruits unattainable. Who's going to suffer more? Those of us who already do not have access to eating and buying Coconut and it's oils, etc., or those who depend on it for a living? 27 ounces of Coconut Oil, in solid form, is $15. It's so good for the skin, cheaper than any other moisturizer, lasts one year for my use and I buy it. Undoubtedly, the price will go up but are those who make this with their hands receiving any profits? No. The workers need to form a massive strike and stop all production until their wages etc., are increased.
@@LIZZIE-lizzie coconuts have better chances to stay largely available to their traditional consumers because a lot of them are grown decentralised and quite passively
I used to climb coconut trees as early as when I was 7 years old. I think it's a way of life and part of your childhood in tropical countries like the Philippines. I still climb a coconut tree when I go home to the province. Weirdly enough, our bodies know how to maneuver themselves when we do these things, like some sort of muscle memory. Yes, there are people who fell and were put in danger, but the number was very low. I didn't even know anyone in our town who fell from climbing coconut trees or other fruit trees. I think danger is everywhere, even in Western countries. Workers can also be placed in danger when working in factories.
> Weirdly enough, our bodies know how to maneuver themselves when we do these things, like some sort of muscle memory. It's almost as if we're related to apes
@@xxwaldi In my part of south India they use red rubber straps to tie onto tree tied onto their back when they climb, workers also make above-average salary. But generally even though it is not too too dangerous to climb trees it is always better to have safety. I think workers in the US use similar straps onto trees, in general climbing trees in jobs is not too statisticially more dangerous across different countries (it is one of the most dangerous jobs in USA) so I think most of it comes down to humans being good at it.
genetic memory's real my dude.
Don’t blame the WEST, they can enjoy coconut products, blame the factory owners for not paying the workers well. PS - I’m from Karnataka, india. My dad and grandad plucked coconuts like this on their farm, not on a large scale, just from 2 trees enough for the family, i grate and peel coconuts at home regularly when I cook at home 😊 In our cuisine coconut is very very important, the milk, the tender coconut water, the flesh, dried coconut. The oil is used for hair, and we instead use groundnut oil to cook food.
I agree ! they should pay their employees better !
For the folks who aren't familiar with the term "ground nut", just think "peanut"...☺
it's so sad indeed for those who work hardest and probably face a danger in their work were paid so horrible.
No, blame the west. We're buying them.
It's absolutely atrocious how little these workers get paid when you consider how hard they work compared to a lot of white-collared workers. A LOT of private sector large company positions require intermittent levels of hard work with a lot of free time for WAAAYYY more money.
People think 10 dollars is bad but from a Sri Lankan standpoint it's not too bad at all. It's about 300 dollars per month or 90,000 Sri Lankan rupees which is about the salary of a school teacher. It's definitely enough to get by in Sri Lanka especially since the cost of living is far lower than most countries.
Maybe you don't know how to take on cost of living. Sri Lankans are paying one of the biggest price for living.
Actually about 30k More than a school teacher😂
Let's be practical here! Your calculations are true if she works all 30/31 days in a month. But, ideally she's going to work only 20-22 days a month hence She'l be earning only about 50,000 - 55,000 LKR!
nice say actually they 60$ per month with O/T
@waranmohanathasan that is very close to a teacher salary. Blue collar jobs do carry a lot of risks and the reward should be higher too. Sadly cheap labor is a thing of capitalism we are driven by US based economy
yea im a sri lankan and im soooooo happy this channel has cover a big part of our country's livelihood and they dont call us the "pearl of the indian ocean" for nothing!
I'm a rugged, barefoot, homecooked farmboy, and not quick to believe in the media touting some new thing as the new superfood. But I'm a runner too, and pretty in tune with my body. I've cut open a fresh coconut after runs before, and I gotta say it's a better post-cardio than gatorade. Some coconut milk is my favorite treatment for acid reflux too. I wish while coconuts were cheaper here, cause I kinda enjoy splitting one with a machete, sometimes adding a shot of rum lol
I dislike that Insider business always tries to frame these things as "dangerous" or "problematic". Some industries they have reported on were dangerous for the people who produce the products. But I feel like the company was slandered a bit here. They had PPE. They had their long sticks. The people working here didn't seem to dislike their job. The workers should be paid more and people shouldn't consider coconuts as a miracle food... but its 2023. I'm surprised if anyone still thinks that.
Exactly insider is trying to frame the company as bad, the women earning $10 / day is actually pretty good and she earns more than the school teachers in sri lanka and many corporate jobs lol and people climbing the tree without safety is pretty common here, I'm 20yrs now, I started climbing trees when I was 15yrs old with my bare hands and never fallen off and I have never heard of people even falling
Our area is full of coconut farms, Ive never heard of anyone falling from one. Anyone who knows how to climb a coconut tree has done it since they were a child.
Do notice they try to frame coconut as not a superfood.. Disregard if it is the truth or not, this is an attempt to sway focus from coconut to.. something they'll sell. Insider business is sponsored by some mega company with hidden agenda. Not the first time, many bullshit slogan we has accepted as fact were actually manufactured. Like "breakfast is the most important meal", propagate by some company who sell breakfast meal named James Caleb Jackson and John Harvey Kellogg, to sell their newly invented breakfast cereal.
Fr I'm from Sri Lanka and even my grandpa climbs the trees when we go to visit him to get coconuts and its not just here most places with naturally growing coconuts (like Jamaica) have people that climb or use. However they probably could pay them a more seeing as Sri Lanka isn't doing so well right now. Also Super Food /miracle foods are just marketing slang so that producers can sell more product. In reality a varied diet with plenty of real food will basically cover all your bases.
i think.. if even "eating" origin is from the non west country.. it also will deem dangerous.
The video presents this as if it a massive burden for Sri Lanka and its people. Rather it provides employment and much needed foreign exchange for the country. If at al we could improve workers safety a little bit.
Just want to say, I love these Business Insider videos. I've learned so much about entire supply chains that help to demystify the marketing smokescreens
the flowers can be made in to a sugary sweet syrup the trunk is used to make furniture and logs for building and burning the fruit is for well, eating(pretty sure its a seed according to my mother, i am Sri Lankan btw) and the leaves are for decor , thatched roofing , hug mats, hand bags etc...
I'm a proud Sri Lankan and I hate the whole slavery angle here. While I'm thankful to Business Insider for making this video, it would have been far better if you treated it like your Cinnamon and Cashew videos under Claudia, where there importance to the economy, culture and way of life was highlighted. This one-company-focused, narrow minded angle paints such a slotted picture to the world. Whoever thought of doing this in the super food angle totally missed the point. It's great that export market for coconuts have grown, and maybe some companies are cashing in on it, but the majority of coconut industry in Sri Lanka has nothing to do with what's depicted here. Coconut has so many uses, just do a simple search and see how many industries are going on from this one tree. Coconuts are a driving force for Sri Lanka, and you focusing on only the fruit and oil is frankly just xenophobic (in the sense you just subsume the whole thing to your western point of view). I'm sure if Claudia was behind this, she would have done a much better job, highlighting the coconut based cuisine, the coconut based spirit called Arrack that's the defining alcohol here, the numerous industries based on coconut tree's various bits from charcoal to fiber to hard wood and religious decorations(and it literally means the entirety of the tree, I'm not kidding, absolutely no part goes to waste! Talk about Environmental sustainability, Westerners can really learn a thing or two), and generally make a more wholesome video about what coconuts actually mean to us. If you really want to keep this video in a positive manner, I suggest you change the title to something like "How one company in Sri Lanka is fulfilling the Western coconut oil craze" or something like your other videos. This has almost nothing to do with what usual coconut industries are in the country of Sri Lanka. Your title certainly conflates this one company to the whole country, making them seem like all are underpaid slaves providing for a Western craze. The reality is that what's depicted here is just such a narrow minded version of the whole thing. People use like 80% of the coconuts as food alone, and like 90% or more of other related industries. I seriously suggest you allow Claudia to do this sort of videos, or at least consult or get an idea from how she does things. Good luck. 👍
U got a point
I wholeheartedly agree with this as a Sri Lankan. I wasn't a fan of how they presented this video, as they are trying to push a narrative which is not really true at all.
Damn true. It is all western tactics.
spot on!!!
lefties lways try to villianize and victimize people that dont want their twisted narrative imposed upon them. Its the white savior complex - pretty racist if you ask me.
Here in Indonesia villagers use well trained monkeys to harvest huge old coconut trees. But in industrial coconut plantation the company select to plant the dwarf coconut trees to make it easier to harvest by employees.
I've seen a video of that. Some guy trained his monkey, then the wife sold the monkey. Then he bought it back lol
@@evolancer211 is the wife jealous? lol
Do you also live near those coconut farms?
ye can confirm, went to sumatra once to visit a friend in Bukit Tinggi and while on our trip we visited a local coconut farm run by one of his friends dad, i was really suprised when what greeted us at the front wasn't just person but also monkey that had just climbed down a tree holding a coconut.
You know whats funny? In thailand, coconut farmer get sued by PETA for using monkeys to harvest coconut
I am from 'Kerala' which literally means - land of coconut. I am amazed seeing the tree climbing method used by these people... please ask them to send them to Kerala or Tamilnadu which is quite near by. We can train them on how to use tools for climbing and cutting down the coconuts.
First time in my entire life I saw a professional coconut plucker climb the tree monkey style ! It's obvious this man was struggling to climb that awkward way- as the producers insisted him to do (to give the viewers adventurous excitement ) This entire episode is a disinformation campaign against Coconut products, especially those imported from Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan coconut tree climbers traditionally use a rope loop, which is used to keep 2 feet tightly attached to the tree trunk. Some younger climbers, specially the casual climbers, follow this style. I guess this poor fellow climbed in that awkward style only for the video. 😂😂
@@freecommentor that's how they do it traditionally in Kerala too.
Teach them to demand a fair salary as well please
Without PPE
wow, didn't realize how dangerous the harvesting is! makes sense why dwarf trees are increasing in popularity
This is something we should look out for. An advocacy for food sustainability.- Philippines
Coconut charcoal (carbon) derived from the shell waste is widely used in water filters.
It’s also sold to heat grills instead of regular charcoal, it’s MUCH more efficient and you need very little of it!
Coconut shell charcoal processed into air filters that Astonauts use on space craft, cost several hundred dollars a gram.
In Kerala, coconut climbing machines are being used. These are not sophisticated machines, but very helpful and cheap, which can prevent accidents, which are almost always fatal. These companies may use machines to improve productivity and safety.
Machines can be used gradually as most of the new generation do not follow footsteps of their father which is good. But if it is done suddenly that would put a whole bunch of people out of jobs.
@@sheezy2526machies are expensive, not everyone needs or can afford them.
@@cbazxy2697 governments can give subsidies and essential training for the interested
@@cbazxy2697 for a company it's not crazy expensive. Also climbers buying machines eliminates the risk to their life
@@cbazxy2697 India providing more money for you. But you are working for china as slaves.
Coconut coir is extremely useful to gardeners. Its not just the meat for food. The husks help me grow my own food. If i ever manage to afford going down to my parents' place in florida i'm REALLY gonna want some dropped fronds and fresh coconuts to experiment with for crafting! Coconut milk also helps with my B12 deficiency. One thing I suggest if you're into grilling, put a coconut shell meat side up on top of the coals. The coconut oils and flavor will perfume the area, producing clear, fragrant smoke and giving white meat a fantastic flavor.
There is no B12 in plants. Only in meats.
@@StofStuiverYes and also insects which I'm surprised vegans never consider
Consider having more organ meats are they are the most nutrient dense food source.
in srilanka we call coconut tree "kap ruka" ,a mythycal tree that provide anything you wish for,technically it gives everything man needs ,litterelly everything ,what a wonderful creation, my family alone consume around 400 coconut per year
In India we call it kalpa vriksha
@@brownanrcxist in sri lankan sinhala language , its also called as KALPA WRUKSHA , but sinhalese always make easy words to speak from their original sinhala using short terms so in the writing language of lankan sinhala its- kalpa wruksha in speaking sinhala , its - kap ruka (shortning kalpa as KAP , wruksha as RUKA ) same goes with almost all sinhala words lankans greet eachother saying ''may you live longer'' so for this , in lankan sinhala language the word is AAYUSHA BOHO WEWA! sinhalese has shortened it as AAYUBOWAN ( aayusha to AAYU + boho to BO (meaning is -more/alot) + wewa to WAN =AAYUBOWAN) in original sinhala-CHANDRA (moon) speaking sinhala- HANDA in original sinhala- JANATA(people) speaking sinhala- JANA in original sinhala- PAASHAANA (rock) speaking sinhala- PAHANA in original sinhala- AKSHARA( letters) speaking sinhala-AKURU in original sinhala- vIDYALAYA(school/collega) speaking sinhala- VIDU HALA (vidu is the short term for vidya in sinhala(vidya means science ,knowledge + hala is the short term or SHAALA ,(gathering place) so vidya shalawa became vidu hala we can explain millions of worlds this way,in sri lankan sinhala language,(if we now use original sinhala to speak in public , sinhalese laugh and ask did you came from the past ?😂 cuz its went to sinhalese people s mind as the speaking pattern of old sinhalese (they call it raja kaale baashaawa😅- the language of kings era),(cuz 100% of sri lankan sinhalese movies which makes based to historical incidents make with this original sinhala language to make it more realistic
@@skipper2594 I enjoyed reading this and learning about your languages, thank you
Yup its trully the tree of life. Our ancestors sailing the oceans with boats made of coconut trees and brought nothing but coconut to eat and drink.
People living in the tropics are so spoiled for food ;P It isn't news to me but every time i see some vid talking how fast and abundant harvests are in warm regions my mind is blown.Harvest every 1,5 month FFS.Our fruit trees fruit once pe r year , abundantly only every second year in some cases(like apples), and they really fruit after like a decade of growing.
Is it just me or business insider seems to have an intrinsic agenda to express whilst explaining the manufacturing process.
they pick and choose sources while criticizing others as non-ecofriendly, etc.
on Point man. Complicating a innocent coconut farmer
Ecaxtly these westerns cant see any other country do good
This segment is sponsored by Amazon , so take what I will from that😂
Pompous elites who are too high in the clouds to know how the average human has to survive. My entire family is immigrants from the 3rd world and they all worked like these farmers to get where they are today. The perspective of this channel is VERY twisted and seems nefarious honestly.
In Malaysia, we called coconut as "the plant for thousand uses". It milks were used to make our National Dish the Nasi Lemak 😋
amazing, all the work they do for a couple of cents a day. Keep it up!
That nutritionist is the first nutritionist with common sense that I've ever heard. Instead of super foods we should focus on removing toxic foods, while focusing on local fresh produce. But yes, coconut oil is preferred than than vegetable oils from seeds.
I'd bet any Italian or Greed would fight you for that.
@@Rig0r_M0rtis lol funny cuz I'm italian...btw olives are not seeds, they're fruits, just like coconut...For seed oil I mean sunflower,peanut,canola
@@dominic6055 lol funny cuz coconut oil is vegetable oil and is made from seed
@@Rig0r_M0rtis coconut is a fruit, not a seed nor a vegetable...you better research things
@@dominic6055 hehe you should hit wiki maybe. The whole thing including the fibers is fruit but the juicy oily part is the seed🤣
Being a cardiologist in India i have spent the last 10 yrs of my life researching why cultures living on coconuts have such low heart attacks.. What we found is that it increases good cholesterol more than bad cholesterol.... If there ever was a super food its coconut
Thanks
Will eating animal fats give good cholesterol?
@@nightboot6194 nope instead it will lead to cancer and impurities inside blood streams. not only that there are tons of side effects of eating meat like high cholesterol problem, skin problems, heat and also leads to piles.
wow ty doc
That nutritionist doesn’t want to call coconut super food😂
In India Coconut tree is called "Kalpavriksha", as every part of it is useful in one way or the other. The coconut water inside the nut is a delicious drink. In dried form it is called copra and is used to manufacture oil.etc
Here in the PH After a hard night of drinking, coconut water is a great hangover cure. I drink one or 2 glasses of it and after an hour, my hangover is cured.
Bless them and every other country working hard to produce coconut based products ..I love coconut so much ,I appreciate it from a very young age ,I tried all kinds of products coconuts are awesome .
I'm from srilanka I have 43 acers coconut farm we pay pretty good for the workers most of the workers getting government school teachers salary 😅
Thats good .They do hard wor thats good to know they get fair waves.
Now that you had to mention it specifically we know that's total bs.
@@nekahill359 they are $10/day is a high wage here and teachers earn like $7/day. The low cost of living and free education, free healthcare and no income tax. It's more than enough to live with that kind of money. I belong to the upper middle class and I earn through freelancing and I myself find it hard to spend more than $700/m on stuff. It's easy to live a very luxurious life under $1000/m
@@nowaconcordia557hard labor in sri lanka is not cheap and coconut farm cannot be labored with people without prior experience. So they get some decent wage according to knowledge. But still their job have some innate danger.
@@nowaconcordia557 Believe what u want bich
In the Philippines they use traditional (sundang in Samar) to cut a stairs like on the coconut tree so that they can use it for climbing...
I always wanted to have a farm and produce food as a profession.
To us Pacific Islanders, Coconut is life, Tree of Life!
Coconuts remain the magic ingredient in Sri Lankan cuisine, its what makes traditional SL food taste divine. Like who can beat the taste of Coconut sambol made with freshly grated coconut ? 😍
Pizza
@@randomgamer_SSRB garbage no comparison at all !!!
@@randomgamer_SSRB unhealthy s#!t
*scraped
@@yashhaddad1952 there is a difference in culinary terms when speakung and writing. It helps to know the difference !!!!
Im from brasil and i happy to see people from outside brasil enjoying açaí
this video makes me happy for some reason
In Sir Lanka, we have consumed Coconuts for centuries. So even without research, we know it works!!! Glad the world is recognizing this now. Other superfoods to be discovered would be Millets, Sweet Potatoes, and Cassava.
What do you use the sweet potatoes for?
We keep this simple. Mainly it's breakfast. Boil and mix with a bit of salt and coconut scrapings (can have without coconut). Doctors recommend this for kids so this is added to their meals as well @@citizencoy4393
We know innately, they do research and smear it.
@@nomenclature9607 I meant what health benefit specifically as I hear a lot of ppl frown at sweet potatoes in the west with claims that it aids in producing and increases fibroids. SMH
Super interesting how coconuts spread around the tropics all over the world the past thousands of years, but i gues their form - hardness and such fit well for that. Pretty cool how that company produces all sorts of coconut related items 🥥🥥
Our ancestors in the islands of the Philippines has been using this for centuries. Our house is made of coconut trees. From the bark to the leaves.
Very interesting. Thanks for the insights
I'm from the US but my parents are from central american countries. They harvested and enjoyed coconuts in their own culture's foods. I grew up loving coconut water. To this day I still drink a lot of coconut water, I just don't live in a place where I can harvest the coconuts myself. These workers deserve A LOT of compensation.
This video is meant to elicit a guilty emotion in you. The western consumer. From the safety concerns to the “researcher” brought into cast doubt on the superfood aspects, these are all meant to stop you from consuming. I am 100% confident, all those workers are grateful for the opportunities they have and are taken care of really well, in a relative sense to what sort of country Sri Lanka is. Don’t let this video make you feel like you shouldn’t consume coconut products. That’s the only thing that will make them suffer more than anything else. I bet this video is sponsored by some western capitalist who doesn’t give a shit about you, me or these poor workers in Sri Lanka. They just want to either take over the supply or destroy the market if they are in competition somehow. Thank you for supporting developing countries positively contributing to the world economy. ❤ from 🇱🇰
Coconut does...i was taking one table spoon everyday for extreme unknown backpain and it took the pain away right away AND improved my eye vision. My eyes have remained the same vision for 3 years using coconut oil and taking it
I'm an economist here to tell you that there's no such thing as "keeping up with demand". Higher demand means higher prices and more potential profits, which is a good thing.
These guys love trying to control everything instead of leaving things to supply and demand.
They must eat what grows in their region. That's best for them. Pistachios, pine & macademia nuts are becoming a hype in India but wise ones are eating what the land throws out effortlessly. Infact I usually avoid almonds that are grown in North India because in my area(central India) they aren't grown at all. So we try to stick to organic non gmo groundnuts, coconuts and ofcourse ghee.
Whenever a non-western country develop an industry, western journalists always go, "Whoa, pump the brakes. What about the environment? What about safety?"
Coconut oil and avocado oil are very healthy oils with healthy fats in them. Your brain and other organs require healthy fats and oils in order to function properly. If people weren’t eating coconuts or avocados, you’d have to eat beef tallow, sheep fat, lard, olive oil or butter to maintain a healthy ratio of fats/oils in your brain etc.
I mean, I understand that climbing a coconut tree without harness is dangerous.... but here in Indonesia it is already like a culture. My grandpa used to climb coconut trees behind his house for 50 years or even more, and even he still climbed the coconut trees when he was 80 years of age. We didn't ask for it, he just wanted to do it. The interesting part is, most of the guys there can do it too, its not something special haha
"On the other end of everything we put into our mouth is someone who's worked tirelessly to get it there" Truer words have not been said 😉
That's right, farmers need to be appreciated.
@@tony98discoveryget a westerner to do that and no one can afford them. That's why hard labor moved east.
LMAO
@@triadwarfarewest have choice but in east people don't, there aren't Many sectors to make money
If it was not Mined, it was GROWN.
our school works with aha, thanks so much for mentioning American heart association!
Here in our country we do cut and curved something on the coconut tree so we can easily climb up. I'm amazed how these guys climbing without even those cuts.
I love when they guy says, I trust my arms and legs. We, the outsiders, shouldn't be telling people what they can and can't do. If he wants to climb the tree, that's his choice
they can learn from indians
Most of our western peers are fat incapable sacks of meat, so they couldn’t imagine climbing a tree. To them it’s the most insane thing in the world.
Exactly, called skills, dude never has fallen never will
@@sujithsom5459learn what??
@@caiussl3249 how to climb safely for centuries . last year one farmer even developed a motorised way to sit and climb arecanut tree. similar device can be developed for coconut tree too.
8:20 the coco lumber can also be used to build a nipa hut, its leaves is used as roofing, the leaves sticks are using for broom to clean the trash and fallen leaves in the backyard, the coco coir as soil medium and the coconut shell are excellent for charcoal
I see a lot of cocolumber but don't see much replacement plantings.
We do this as a kid in the philippines. We had coconut trees in our backyard and would climb up to get some then drink the water after
The West: *_*likes coconut_** Insider Business: *LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE*
Clearly, this document has been produced to discourage the US consumers on coconut products, by far those imported from Sri Lanka. The daily wage of a coconut plucker (only employed by urban dwellers to pluck fruits from a couple of trees- never be employed in estates due to inefficiency) are earn more than Rs. 3000-5,000 a day ($10-15) which is well beyond a government school teacher / University lecturer, and more than enough to run a family of 5. They have purposely asked that coconut climber to climb the tree in a very awkward way (monkey style) to make a big seen. But the real tree climbers use a hard loop on their feets to add grip, and climb the tree like embracing it ( just search in KZhead) Clearly the content of this audio and video, both are hype.
I just wanted to say that Coconut fruit shells can be made into jewelry cutlery bowl cups instrument charcoal and in decorations. The husk can be used to make coconut fibers that has many uses. Like basket, gardening pots, ropes, and many more. Cocopit are good for gardening. The bark are good for deco. Leaves can be made into broom, and can be weave in a traditional wall of a house. The stem of leaves can be used as a wood to burn in stove. The core in the top of coconut tree is a delicacy if its raw and cook. The stem is good wood for building . The coconut meat is used to make oil, and coconut milk, We also got sap from the coconut that can be made into sugar, wine, and venigar
They use coconut husks as soil too, called CoCo Coir. Is basically cleaned, sterilized ground up coconut husks.
i've also seen husks turned into charcoal for cooking
This video is not up the the usual standard of this channel. Sensationalism
never knew coconut was considered a superfood lol, i love them though probably one of my favourite fruits
Here in Southern part of India, we used Coconut oil for cooking for centuries. Those days the people used to be healthy and lived till 100 years old without any health issues. Then the pharma industry got very stronger in India, they promoted the refined oils and discouraged the use of Coconut oil. Result : These days most people get sick after 40s, heart attacks and strokes are common, people life expectency has gone down. To increase the sales, they need to create more sick people. For that they introduced the "Saturated fat lie" on butter and coconut oil, and promoted the "poisoness refined oils" as healthy oils.
thts true
"Source: i made it up"
@@Chris_winthers i dunno its made or not ,but in whole sri lanka we use coconut oil to cook almost everything! among lankans there s a belief that they use coconut oil to cook everything while indians use ghee to cook every thing
@@Chris_winthers Keep believing in Pharma propoganda. Once you loss your health, only then you will start learning the truth. A sheep always learn the lesson only after we it get exposed to chronic pain and suffering.
@@skipper2594ghee is used by North Indians mostly and in South it is for some special meals only usually south Indians use coconut (kerala and TN) and peanut oil in all other parts.
In philippines, some areas use long bamboo sticks to pick coconut fruit, not climbing.. bamboo sticks are adjustable, add some stick, take out stick, depends on height
In India we use machines tools this type of companies always use machines now this company looks good but why they don't using machines it will improve the efficiency and then cost of production will be saved I don't know why
People don’t realize the workers aren’t forced into this line of work and get paid. They would be labeled as slaves if that was the case. A slave is, “a person who is forced to work for and obey another and is considered to be their property; an enslaved person.” According to the dictionary.
modern slave is where you can't distinguish its slave or not
I think a reason why 'super foods' rubs me the wrong way is that in elementary school, I was jeered at for bringing 'strange' foods for lunch. They would make fun of any foods that didn't fit within the American norm, and then turn around and laud them as 'miracle foods' without knowing or caring about the cultural significance.
Anything is a miracle food compared to the standard American diet
As a daily coconut oil eater (I cook almost all the time with virgin coconut oil), a big thank you to all the coconut oil farmers and harvesters. Y'all the real MVPs! 🤟
♥
Always wear a helmet
Let's be clear: the west doesn't tell anyone to climb trees with bare hands and feet, it doesn't tell anyone to shell coconuts with spinning saws without protective gear. Having a demand for something isn't ethically wrong, and the western consumers have no obligation to establish labor safety standards in a foreign country (many countries actually bash Americans and Europeans for imposing human rights standards in their countries). If a Sri Lankan company is generating 40 million dollars a year from exporting coconut products, it's on them to provide their workers with better working conditions, it's on their government to pass laws to make sure workers are protected.
This video is a hatchet job on the consumers. There are many things the farmers can do to harvest coconuts safely. They could use a safety belt. Also, cooperatives can be formed to improve price of product.
coconut is what makes sri lankan cuisine awesome
I didn't knew that coconut is a superfood. As an Indian coconut is an integral part of our culture. Everyone in India consumes coconut directly or indirectly through chutneys, coconut water, gravys etc
Any foreign fruit is seen as a super food in the west recently, it's just food bloggers keeping themselves employed.
Thank the Government of Sri Lanka for the lack of funding. We, in the West, the Civilians, are not responsible for the Workers of Sri Lanka. Thank you.
Here in indonesia Company Use coconut Genjah (Kelapa Genjah), small coconut tree so easy to harvest
In Kerala we are using coconut oil for decades...we can say it's far better than olive oil or other vegetable oils....
I am a technical person in coconut industry in Sri lanka, only the host is making into a big deal, most of the factories in sri lanka have good safety standards. That is how you pluck coconut from a tree for centuries and only drunk idiots fell from trees. No body balming the west, this would give much needed uplift for those communities. They all have all ISO standdards to export. Only the upstream of the this process is labour intensive: however, in the downstream all automated machines such as : tetramachines, UHT, Belt press and combi block , even this documentary after the peeling fully automated.
Yes, this video's framing seemed a bit off to me too. It almost comes off as a condescending "look at those poor savages scaling the trees so that we westerners can eat our superfoods"
Typical media sensationalism. Also, they don't care about what happens to these semi skilled workers that only know how to pick coconuts if demand for coconut suddenly fall thanks to bullshit videos like this.
Great! This provides jobs for the workers in the country. Hopefully these workers are well treated and well paid.
What she just said, " every single bit of food we put in our mouth someone has worked tirelessly to get it there." Should be a saying in every home, on every store wall every where
I am from Sri Lanka, but didn't know about this kind of mass production. and in my place coconuts are expensive 🤔
Now you know why it is expensive in SL.!
Don’t blame the people eating it, get mad at the employers for not hiring more people , get mad at them for not having SAFETY standards! Don’t you dare blame the consumers!
You are under estimating the power of consumers.
@@lakshmir7616Yes we choose to buy whatever is cheap not realizing we are supporting less ethical organizations
“What’s left out is…the acknowledgment of people left to bear the brunt of our health food obsessions.” So, counter argument. Would these workers prefer to not have this dangerous job? Like, they could just quit and not work, right? Would these workers prefer if Westerners boycotted coconuts, making them lose their jobs? Not saying these companies shouldn’t take more steps to make the job safer, but I think the workers probably prefer to have their job.
In Indonesia here, we usually chopped a bit from the coconut wood to make steppings. Even me as 4 grader can easily climb the tree
These coconuts sure are plentiful. Sri Lanka has numerous natural resources. Much like any other country in Asia, the more resources, the more bountiful harvests that are being produced.
*Personally, I have never seen a tree whose most parts are commercially usable like the coconut tree.*
At 2:18 you show the asiatic rhinoceros beetle A.k.a. Coconut Rhino Beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros). That is indeed a coconut pest that can decimate crop trees if left unchecked. At 2:24 you actually show a different beetle, the Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma) which is not a coconut pest, and is actually a Japanese symbol. It's a very important animal in Japanese culture, and is not known to be invasive in Sri Lanka. Please correct this.
This what I can tell you as a Caribbean woman who lives in Puerto Rico. 1. No one in the Caribbean cooks with coconut oil. Only for special occasions like making coconut shrimp. 2. Most of us can get or make homemade coconut oil. I use for my hair and skin. Not face because breakout. People also use it as a mouthwash and natural toothpaste. 3 a lot of people in the Caribbean do not drink water. Only coconut water. American store bought coconut water, taste like shit. And nothing like the real thing.
Yes it tastes so bad because it's pasteurized and they add preservatives for longer shelf life. I grow up drink coconut water, but hate coconut water sold in North America
Coconut oil is actually really good for frying, because it has such a high smoking point-though avocado oil has the highest smoking point. Coconut (and avocado) is superior to most seed oils for that reason because it doesn't have the issue of smoking and getting free radicals in your food. Coconuts are not a miracle food, but they do have some health benefits--hell, outside cooking, coconut is really moisturizing and is one of the better natural moisturizers out there (theres a reason its IN a lot of them). And coconut water is a healthier source of electrolytes and sugars than Gatorade, though it does have natural sugar so weight it out. So. Goods and bads. But ya, do your research, don't trust blind faith.
I had alopecia, patches of bald spots on the back of my head. It would usually take months for hair to grow back. So then I tried applying coconut oil on the bald spots and hair grew back in a couple of days. Also coconut oil is good for my eczema
I don't like Coconut. Whatever way. Don't use any. Don't even like the taste. Coconut water is disgusting. I would choose regular water or Gatorade over that any day.
Stop using avocado oil got any idea how detrimental it is to produce 1 litre of avocado oil?
The minus point in coconut oil are the smell, not everyone like the smell but if remove the smell it became bad bcs to remove the smell you need to heat the oil
If you want super smooth, silky hair, use coconut milk (or oil). It's also very effective against head lice and dandruff.
The workers ARE heros The Company is doing its best to survive keeping workers safe and the Hunger of Demand, and Demand that keeps things foi Going. Letus not demonize but help get things always better
I love that they highlighted those amazing foods that I'm so grateful for(besides Oils). I just wish we didn't waste so much land and resources on all those slaughterhouses in developed countries. I rather have more coconut, quinoa, etc farms. Vote yes to healthy-food obsessions.
Making 10 dollars a day meaning almost 300 dollars a month is much more than an average person in Sri Lanka makes....
Always remember that so much of what we have is on the backs of people sacrificing their bodies for low wages.
Thanks for letting us know captain obvious 👍
and monkey slavery
Also always remember that if this fact provokes absolutely no sense of caring then you are a failed human being
@@Mandolatronindian scammers always know best
It may seem dangerous to Westerners because they have never climbed a coconut tree in their life. We Pacific Islanders and South East Asians learnt to climb coconut trees as kids.
They always blame ”people in the west” i knew that before i even klicked the video… 🤦♂️
Exactly. They completely ignore that it’s a huge economic opportunity for the people in those poor countries. Without the western demand, companies like this one wouldn’t exist. Farmers wouldn’t have anyone to buy their product. And the people wouldn’t have jobs.
I am from Sri Lanka and I'm against people who blame the West and people who cry for workers. They think this is slavery as payment is just 10$. But here Lunch costs only around 1$ and education and healthcare are free. So 10$ is pretty reasonable. Actually blaming the West is another foolish thing . How could someone blame customers for buying things? I think the problem is how this video is presented. They always try to point out negative things instead of positive impacts of this industry.
What baffles me is the profits made from the sale of these products and the compensation to those who put their lives at risk and work tirelessly to harvest and process these products to meet our ridiculous demand. It is sad and just wrong IMO how little these workers make. Where are all the profits going??? I also wonder how much of this product is wasted after reaching the shelves??
Where all the profits going? The CEOs and Pres needs to buy their big yachts, jets and $20M mansions
Same as in every company in the world highest percentage is allocated for further expansion of factory, Marketing, and research. Another proportion for salary of CEO and Executives.
@@ashanmaynard4085 ceos are overcompensated, and the workers are undercompensated. plain and simple.
News flash, it's like this for a lot of farming regardless of the crop, regardless of the country, even in the good ol' US of A.
"Where are all the profits going???" Profits are what's left after all expenses have been paid, incl. salaries, utilities, machines, tools, raw materials, land costs, taxes. Profits always (yes, always) go to the owners of the business, incl. share holders. My question to you is: How do you know if there are any profits at all? The video didn't say anything about that. Lots of businesses are not profitable, and some end up going bankrupt.
"Farmers like this guy risk their life climbing big tall tree to pick coconuts one by one" Less than 30secs later: Farmer with a big ass stick increasing efficiency and safety by 10X
SCRACO electric coconut scraper, a unique product which comes with a coconut holder.
If he does not want to use any climbing aid- not my fault. I had been eating coconuts since I was a year old.
This video is like: cooking food is a very dangerous job. A cook has to work with hot fire, very sharp knife, rotating machines, and vegetables which has insects in it
I mix coconut water and water at a 50/50 ratio and use it for hockey.
This may seem like a silly question but, why don’t they grow the trees in a slant? That way they’re closer to the ground or at least easier to climb
To the company in this video, please pay your workers a living wage (one that is above the national average). Given the demand of coconuts and the back breaking work your employees go through, there no reason why you cannot!
I'm Sri Lankan and personally I think the people working in the factory who were earning almost $10 a day were earning a very good salary. That's almost like 90000 LKR a month which a solid salary especially in rural areas. There is literally so many ppl who work office jobs in big cities that earn way less than 90000 LKR a month, so those ppl are Def earning a very good salary.
Yes, basic minimal monthly salaries here Rs. 20'000-25'000. The best salary I have ever received from a job is Rs. 22'000 as a graphic designer. Now I am basically working on freelancer jobs. Good luck for me and people like me ❤ Rs.90'000 is a lot for many of us. It's company's responsibility to ensure the safety of their workers. I'm grateful for the workers for their hard work. They helps our economy. 👍 Hope company will take care of their workers.
No its good salary in sri lanka ❤️
It would be amazing if the company shared some of their profits with their workers to raise their standard of living. Unfortunately, it seems like no matter where a corporation is located in the world it always puts profits before people.
paying education fess extra
Dude These workers are earning more than my school teachers And this guy is just doing some casual climbing. we normal use a rope in a ring shape to climb the trees They also cover the worker's children's education expenses which is very helpful From a Sri Lankan standpoint I don't see a problem with them. (Although I wonder whether the reason for the shortage of coconuts and increase of price is because of them, but otherwise)
Yep. That’s capitalism for ya. It’s an overrated system that exploits workers.
I'm happy I looked through the comments on this one, for a moment I was upset an amazed that these people do so much for so little. But hearing that the video prolly exaggerated makes more sense.
Good video showing greediness of developed world. Now coming to the video, no experienced coconut climber would ever climb a coconut tree with bare hands. Coconut coir ropes or coconut climbing mechanical devices are present which protect a climber from falling down even in case of an emergency.
Looks like a nice clean setup, Shame they’re paid so little.
No it's way more than enough for a living here
We cook everything from 🥥 coconut oil here in South India 🇮🇳 (kerala).
0:02: 🥥 The demand for coconut products has surged in recent years, but the health benefits may be overhyped. 3:10: 🌴 A coconut farmer in Sri Lanka risks his life to climb trees and harvest coconuts, earning less than $5 a day. 7:46: 🥥 Coconuts in Sri Lanka: a source of food, income, and cultural significance. 10:18: 🥥 Coconut oil and coconut water have different effects on the body, with coconut oil being high in saturated fat and potentially harmful to cardiovascular health. 12:14: 🌴 Coconut and açaí farmers are struggling to keep up with global demand, while earning very little for their produce. Recap by Tammy AI
Thanks for the recap Tammy AI!
US creates these superfood fads often. I am still amazed after all these years, why people get obsessed over something just so easily. Then a new fad comes in and people rush over to go get that. Super Crazy.