The 1st International COCOHEALTH Conference, held from 19–22 August 2025 in Coimbatore, India, marked a groundbreaking step toward mainstreaming coconut as a cornerstone of global health, nutrition, and sustainable development. Organized by the International Coconut Community (ICC) in collaboration with the Coconut Development Board (CDB), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, the conference brought together leading researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders under the theme “Coconut – Nature’s Treasure to Health.”
The event featured 22 expert speakers from seven countries, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Australia, and the USA, alongside 13 poster presentations by emerging scholars. It attracted over 150 in-person attendees and 85 online participants, blending deep scientific dialogue with visionary policy conversations to advance the coconut-health nexus.
In her inaugural address, Dr. Jelfina C. Alouw, Director General of ICC, emphasized that the evolving global health and wellness market presents an unprecedented opportunity for coconut-based solutions. She stressed the need to integrate research, innovation, farmer welfare, and fair trade models, and highlighted the conference as a critical platform to steer coconut into the health policies of the future. With the ICC session and ministerial meeting coming up in Thailand this November, she hope the Scientific Advisory Committee for Health (SACH) can present the latest research and prepare policy briefs for member countries. These briefs could advocate for more feasible studies, standardized methodologies, and specific health claims.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of CDB and Horticulture Commissioner of the Government of India, urged the community to reframe coconut oil as a “health oil” rather than simply a cooking medium. He emphasized that the world is moving rapidly toward functional and therapeutic foods and called for systematic meta-analyses and comprehensive research to substantiate claims and reshape consumer perceptions.
Further reinforcing this message, Dr. P. Retinam, Former Executive Director of APCC and Former Chairman of CDB, highlighted the vast potential of coconut water and proposed the formation of a Global Coconut Health Research Fund. He stressed that strategic funding is essential for deepening scientific discovery and scaling innovations that benefit producers and consumers alike.
A powerful message was also delivered virtually by the Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India, who hailed coconut as a “6D multidimensional crop”, vital for diet, digestion, disease prevention, diabetes control, drug development, and daily life. He emphasized the need for new strategies to utilize every part of the coconut and positioned it as an essential component in India's quest for self-sufficiency in edible oils.
Over the course of two days of technical sessions, researchers and practitioners shared evidence on coconut’s benefits across multiple domains—neurological health, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular wellness, dermatology, dentistry, traditional medicine, pharmacology, and food fortification. The sessions revealed the emerging science behind medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), polyphenols, and other bioactives in coconut oil, water, and derivatives.
ICC – SACH Closed Group Discussion
A pivotal Closed Group Discussion brought together ICC’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Health (SACH), chaired by Dr. Fabian Dayrit, to chart the strategic research and policy path forward. The session began with a review of ongoing challenges, including the scientific controversies surrounding saturated fats and coconut oil. Participants carried out a structured SWOT analysis focused on Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) and coconut sugar, identifying areas for future research such as VCO’s potential roles in managing diabetes, obesity, neurological disorders, and immune system regulation, and the positioning of coconut sugar as a natural sweetener beneficial for Type 2 diabetes management. The Committee emphasized the need for stronger scientific evidence through AI-assisted meta-analyses and multi-country clinical trials. A roadmap for the 2026–2036 period was outlined, categorizing research into short-, medium-, and long-term objectives, with an immediate priority to validate therapeutic claims of VCO and coconut sugar through clinical studies. Recommendations were made to seek funding from international bodies like the Asian Development Bank, national research grants, and industry partnerships. Importantly, the discussion underscored the value of intergovernmental collaboration in framing nutrition and health policies grounded in robust coconut-based scientific evidence, with a consolidated plan to be presented at the upcoming ICC Ministerial Meeting in November 2025.
Field Visit
On 22 August, participants undertook a field and industry visit beginning at Jacobi Carbons, where they explored sustainable technology for producing various activated carbon from coconut shells for numerous applications. Company representatives detailed the company’s eco-friendly processes, community engagement programs called “Kalpavriksha”, and workplace safety standards, demonstrating how technology and social responsibility can go hand in hand in the coconut sector.
This was followed by a visit to a coconut plantation managed by Mr. Ranjeet Kumar, where delegates observed a multi-layered cropping system that included high-value crops like nutmeg. The farm, once a paddy field, had transitioned to coconut cultivation due to water and labor constraints. Mr. Kumar highlighted the effects of climate change, pest and disease outbreaks, and wildlife challenges, while showcasing organic farming practices, technology adoption, and cooperative marketing models aimed at enhancing resilience and profitability.
Special Industry Visit of the KIK PNG Delegation
In the lead-up and aftermath of the main conference, the delegation from the Kokonas Indastri Koporesen (KIK) of Papua New Guinea, led by Mr. Alan Aku, ICC National Liaison Officer and Managing Director of KIK, engaged in strategic industry visits to strengthen their understanding of value addition in the coconut sector. On August 18, the delegates visited Marico Limited, where they gained insights into the company’s global operations, diverse product portfolio, and market leadership. Marico’s annual turnover and its success in marketing coconut-based personal and health care products illustrated the commercial scalability of coconut innovations. The team then visited Essar Engineers, a leading manufacturer of coconut processing machinery. The delegates observed state-of-the-art mechanical solutions for dehusking, shelling, drying, and oil extraction, underscoring the role of engineering in enhancing productivity, hygiene, and product quality in coconut processing. On August 23, the delegation visited T&I Global, where they were welcomed by Mr. Viraj Bagaria. He presented a range of advanced processing machinery for coconut milk, Coconut Water, Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO), and desiccated coconut, including filter presses, vacuum dryers, pasteurizers, aseptic fillers, and automated nut handling systems. Of particular interest was a showcase of a 100,000 nuts/day coconut milk factory installed in Ivory Coast, demonstrating the company's global footprint. T&I Global also introduced real-time monitoring systems and data-integrated automation tools to enhance traceability and operational efficiency. These visits provided valuable learning and inspiration for the PNG delegation on industrial scale-up, machinery innovation, and market linkages, complementing the themes explored during the COCOHEALTH conference.
The 1st International COCOHEALTH Conference concluded with a strong consensus on the need for integrated strategies that combine science, technology, policy, collaboration, and community engagement to position coconut as a trusted ingredient in the global health ecosystem. The ICC remains committed to facilitating this transformation through collaboration, capacity building, and catalytic investment.