IN an effort to boost the local coconut industry, the Philippines held the first World Coconut Congress (WCC) with the theme “The Time is Now.”
The event was held from August 14 to 16, 2018, at SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. The event was part of the celebration of the National Coconut Week.
The congress was organized through the United Coconut Association of the Philippines, in partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB).
Through the event, the PCA aimed to promote the Philippine coco-sugar product globally.
The topics discussed during the congress included the global coconut supply and its demand situation, the Philippine coconut supply’s action plan, boosting the coconut supply and making its value chain sustainable and competitive, and opportunities in integrated coconut processing, among others.
There were also exhibits that featured various coconut products and business matching and networking activities. Also featured were non-traditional coconut products, coconut oil utilization breakthroughs, as well as the coconut’s health and wellness benefits.
The DTI-EMB led the business- matching activity held simultaneously during the conference. Buyers from Australia, France, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom participated in the activity. Potential products for further negotiation included food (refined, bleached and deodorized coconut oil, virgin coconut oil, desiccated coconut, coconut milk, skimmed coconut milk) and nonfood (coconut fiber, coir). Around 130 business meetings (excluding the ones held at the exhibitors’ booths) were conducted during the three-day event.
Some local and foreign industry experts were invited to share their insights and knowledge during the WCC. Among the speakers were Uron Salum, executive director of Asian & Pacific Coconut Community; Dr. Julian McGill, head of LMC International Southeast Asia; Dr. Ivan Idrovo, CEO of Strategic Development Cooperation Asia; Dr. Fabian Dayrit, chemistry professor at the Ateneo de Manila University; Jesus Arranza, president of Coconut Oil Refiners Association; Marco Reyes, president of the Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders Association of the Philippines; and Senen M. Perlada, DTI-EMB director.
The first-ever WCC gathered over 500 stakeholders from around the globe. The international event served as a venue for the coconut-industry stakeholders from academe, business and the government sector to meet and discuss the current scenario, issues, opportunities and prospects for the global coconut industry.
The Philippines is the world’s second-largest coconut producer and No. 1 exporter of coconut products. In 2017 the country exported $2.1 billion worth of coconut products, up by 42.7 percent from $1.4 billion in 2016.