"The Aklan Model" To Be Replicated in Liberia

SRE President Perla Manapol recently spent three weeks in Liberia to make an assessment of the country's coconut resource, through a USAID-funded project. The findings: Lots of coconuts. More than enough to replicate SRE's community-based, integrated coconut processing enteprise in Aklan province.

"Liberia has more than 200 miles of coastline planted to coconuts, plus many more inland plantations," Perla reports. "But there is little if any value-adding that has the potential for income-generation for many of the country's rural poor." The good news is that there is keen interest from the private sector in developing Liberia's coconut industry.

The initial phase will focus on the production of crude coconut oil, a process that creates added income from byproducts including: coconut shells that can be made into high-grade charcoal within 24 hours, as well as jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, and bracelets; the shells are also used to provide energy for some components of the oil-making operations; high-nutrient animal and poultry feed from copra meal (the residue of the dried coconut meat after oil has been extracted); vinegar from the coconut water; fiber and peat from the waste coconut husks.

SRE will provide technical assistance and skills training as well as over-all project management.