To spread the benefits of coconut to people.
Coconut, the tree of life
Coconut is called “the fruit of life” and its tree “the tree of life”. In Sanskrit the tree is Kalpavriksha, the wish-fulfilling divine tree, and in India’s coconut-growing regions it truly is one. From the roots to the crown, it gives food, drink, shelter, fuel and livelihood to the families who grow it.
In the Vedas, the kalasha, a pot topped with a coconut facing the sky, stands for abundance, wisdom, immortality and the source of life. That is why a coconut is placed in the kalasha at prayers and ceremonies, and why it is offered to the gods and broken at the start of something new, as a wish for it to go well.
For sailors in olden days, the coconut was the first fresh food they found on reaching a shore, and it is said to have satisfied them fully. Along the coast of Tulu Naadu, where coconut palms line the rivers, fields and beaches, it has always been part of daily life, from the kitchen to the temple.
Every part is useful
A shelter can be built entirely from the trunk and leaves, and nothing of the tree is wasted.
| Part | What it becomes |
|---|---|
| Husk fibre | Coir, used for ropes, mats, brushes and mattresses, and as garden mulch |
| Shell | Fuel and charcoal, activated carbon, and cups, bowls and handicrafts |
| Flesh | Eaten fresh, grated for cooking, dried into copra, and made into coconut milk, sweets and oil |
| Tender coconut water | A natural, refreshing drink and a fine sports drink |
| Ripe coconut water | Vinegar |
| Flower stalk | Sap for neera, a sweet drink, and for jaggery |
| Oil cake | What is left after the oil is extracted: nutritious feed for cattle |
| Trunk | Timber for furniture, rafters and house building, because it is straight and hard |
| Dried leaf | Thatch for roofs, brooms and fuel |
| Green leaf | Woven mats and baskets, and attractive decorative designs |
Spreading the benefits
Our aim is to bring these benefits to more and more people through valuable products made with minimal processing. We want to cover the whole chain, from farmer to consumer, and to leave every link in it better off.
Consumers
Coconuts have immense nutritional and medicinal benefits. We want to keep making products with minimal processing, in a form that is convenient to keep and use, so that you get the full benefit that nature put in.
Farmers
Farmers earn the most from their effort and investment when every part of their produce is valued and properly paid for. We want to grow our partnership with local farmers into a lasting one, so that growing coconut stays rewarding for generations.
Society
Society gains through the healthy living of its people, economic development and ecological balance. We want to keep delivering healthy products, creating local jobs and following environment-friendly practices, so that everyone wins.
How we fulfil it
To fulfil this vision, we keep building deep expertise in coconuts, follow best practices, and invest in a sustainable business around coconut-based products that can serve generations to come.
Cocoguru® is short for Coconut Guru. The name reflects our vision to master the value chain of coconut products.