World Coconut Day 2020: Theme, Significance, Celebration

World Coconut Day – 2nd September 2020

September 2nd of every year is internationally celebrated as World Coconut Day. The day is specially celebrated in countries under the Asian and Pacific regions that house most of the world’s coconut growing regions and production centres.

The foundation stone for establishing the ICC or International Coconut Community served as the beginning to celebrate World Coconut Day. ICC was set up as an intergovernmental entity under the flagship authority of UNESCAP.

World coconut day has its significance in the international community. The main objective of celebrating this day is to create worldwide awareness about coconut usage and its myriad benefits.

The importance of coconut production for the industrial growth of a country cannot be ruled out. Coconut production in the country needs not just public support from the government. It dramatically needs attention from international concerns and global partners.

World Coconut Day 2020 – History

The first-ever celebration of world coconut day was in the year 2009. From then on, it’s an annual ritual to celebrate the day with great enthusiasm by the APCC or the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community.

The serving headquarters of this association is currently at Jakarta in Indonesia. The theme for last year was titled “Coconut for wellness”. 2019 celebrations were held at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology which is in Odisha.

A massive turnout of farmers, coconut growers, industrial concerns of coconut productions and entrepreneurs attended the event in big crowds.

World Coconut Day 2020 Themes and Celebrations

Celebrations usually include technical sessions by expert speakers who have specialised knowledge of coconut farming. Awareness campaigns about the various advantages and benefits of coconut usage are also part of the day’s events.

Along with the celebrations, farmers can be enriched with higher technical support facilities. Most of the coconut growers in our country lack knowledge of scientific and upgraded practices in coconut growing and distribution departments.

It is only with the help of education that they can also see the world through latest technological eyes. The day’s highlights include talking about achievements in processing units, bringing in technology up-gradation in export and import facilities and improvising core management principles and practices.

Employees working in coconut processing units need to be empowered with excellent facilities and pay-outs from their seniors and World Coconut day is the best way to offer them a good boost! To the general public, there are usually exhibitions held to showcase various departments of the coconut industry.

Themes in exhibits could include coconut products that are valuable additions to the country’s industrial scene. Guided presentations from the Coconut development board and their proposal suggestions to increase coconut productions in the country are usually tabled at discussion forums.

Important Statistics

India is a country that leads in global coconut production. The total land dedicated to coconut cultivation in the country is massive and occupies the third place in the world.

The Coconut Development Board has been entrusted the task of conducting World coconut Day every year in India on September 2nd. The production capabilities are on the significant rise in India over the past few years.

This is mainly due to the adoption of scientific farming techniques and bringing in technology for handling and distribution across various sectors.

Around 21 lakh hectares of cropland is exclusively dedicated to coconut cultivation in our country. A single hectare per square land produces more than 11000 coconuts as per production estimates. If we seek the aggregate cultivation data across the country, it comes to a massive 2400 crore coconuts and more per year.

World Coconut Day in India

The coconut development Board or CDB has close associations with the APCC. Every year on World coconut day, many events and celebrations are planned by the organisation.

The head office of CBD resides at Kochi in Kerala. The organisation has many regional offices, state and central offices, and their work is appreciated across the country.

They take up a lot of promotional activities related to coconut regarding the importance and spiritual significance of the coconut tree. The coconut tree is also regarded as a holy tree in our country because of its divine connection.

Every part of the coconut tree is useful to humanity in some of the other forms, thus making it a valuable mention in most of the ancient religious texts.

Importance of Coconut

The holy “Kalpavriksha” tree as we famously know the coconut tree in India, serves a deeply immersed connection with the religious and scientific roots of the country.

Hindu religion finds a mention of coconut in all festivals and auspicious occasions and traditions. Other famous names offered to the coconut tree due to its greatness are “Tree of Life” and “Tree of thousand uses”.

The tree is so important to our culture that even a single part of it doesn’t go unused and wasted. People employed in coconut cultivation offer a great source of employment contribution to the country’s industrial output.

Coconut has plenty of uses, right from coconut oil, coconut milk, the nut itself too! Coconut water or more popularly tender water from coconut has thousands of medicinal properties and is a boon to pregnant women.

It is an ideal drink to beat the heat during summer. The leaves obtained from coconut trees serve useful in making many industrially valuable commodities like brooms, baskets for storage silos, weaving mats etc.

Not just that, the fibres from coconut trees are used to produce mattress liners, thick ropes and strings too. Coconut milk serves as one of the ingredients in daily Indian cooking, especially in the southern states of India.

Coconut also finds a fair share of usage in the cosmetic industry that is booming large with each passing day. They are used as a raw material in the preparation of face masks, scrubs, face packs, cleansers, face washes etc. The oil content in coconut is very beneficial to the skin, and it boasts of healthful antioxidants.

More than 80 countries across the world major in coconut production. Almost 90% of coconut cultivation in India is in the southern part, and Kerala is by far the most significant contributor till date.