Leuven, Belgium, 25 September 2025 – Dr. Jelfina C. Alouw, Director General of the International Coconut Community (ICC), visited the Alliance Bioversity & CIAT, Tropical Crop Improvement Laboratory at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)’s Department of Biosystems. She was invited and welcomed by Dr. Bartholomeus Panis, one of the world’s leading experts in banana and tropical crop biotechnology, including coconut, and the Manager of the Banana Genebank.

Dr. Panis served as one of the main resource speakers for the ICC International Tissue Culture Training in 2022, where his... read more

World Coconut Day (WCD) 2025 was celebrated with great enthusiasm and purpose across the globe under the theme “Uncovering Coconut’s Power, Inspiring Global Action.” The International Coconut Community (ICC), together with its member countries and partners, organized and supported a series of events highlighting the importance of coconut in food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience. From large-scale international workshops to cultural festivities, the commemorations reaffirmed the coconut’s role as a “tree of life” and showcased efforts to ensure its sustainable future.

India: International Workshop and National Celebrations

India served as the global focal point for this year’s WCD celebrations, with... read more

On September 9, 2025, Dr. Jelfina Alouw, Director-General of the International Coconut Community (ICC), actively participated in the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the Potential for Competitive and Sustainable Utilization of Coconut Biomass, hosted by the Center of Surfactant and Bioenergy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University. The forum brought together academia, government representatives, private sector leaders, farmer associations, and international organizations to exchange perspectives on how to maximize the value of coconut biomass in Indonesia.

Dr. Alouw delivered a presentation on the availability of coconut... read more