This year’s Sustainable Coconut Roundtable was recently held in the Philippines last September 23-28, 2024. Organized by the Sustainable Coconut Partnership, the week-long event started with a field trip attended by their delegates, with the newest member, Franklin Baker Company of the Philippines, hosting a farm visit and facility tour in Laguna.
Participants comprised of buyers and affiliate organizations went to Liliw, Laguna, where they met farmers who shared success stories despite the challenges they are facing. They were shown how coconuts are picked from the trees and dehusked, and even got a taste of fresh coconut water and coconut meat. This was followed by a tour of Franklin Baker’s Sapphire Plant in San Pablo, where they got a glimpse of how the coconuts are processed to complete the coconut journey from farm to plant.
Ending the week was a conference at Sheraton Hotel Manila where members, partners, and industry experts from across the globe gathered to share best practices and explore innovations while fostering collaboration towards a common goal of making an impact on the sustainability of the coconut industry.
Becoming a member of the SCP also strengthens Franklin Baker’s continuous thrust in promoting sustainability, with CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer Ferdinand Dela Cruz saying, “What I like about SCP is the whole value chain approach, which is quite unique, and the concept of a roundtable wherein each stakeholder has an equal voice in the discussion.”
He adds, “We look forward to SCP being a catalyst for discussion within the different national coconut industries because I think together the global coconut industry really needs to work together.”
The Sustainable Coconut Partnership is a global platform for sustainability and a multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to build a responsible and resilient coconut sector with focus on Transparency and Traceability, Landscape Approach, Low Carbon and Regenerative Agriculture, and Human Rights and Living Income.
