Dr. Bronner’s, through its affiliate Serendi Coco Samoa, has actively addressed the challenges of coconut cultivation on Samoa’s lava soils by implementing Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF) practices. This approach creates a forest-like systemintegrating coconuts, cocoa, fruit, and timber trees alongside crops like taro, ginger, and turmeric. Such diversification enhances soil fertility, biodiversity, and farmers’ resilience while providing multiple income streams.
The DAF system has been particularly beneficial in rejuvenating Samoa’s aging coconut plantations. By replanting senile and unproductive coconut trees within a mixed-species framework, the project has revitalized over 600 hectaresof land. This initiative contributed to the larger effort of replanting more than 10,000 hectares of aging coconut farms and created over 2,000 farm jobs, significantly improving the livelihoods of rural communities.
Additionally, Serendi Coco Samoa collaborated with the Samoan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to promote coconut replanting efforts. The company utilizes the entire coconut, producing organic and fair-trade coconut oil, as well as by-products such as copra meal for animal feed and coconut shell charcoal, maximizing the economic value derived from each harvest.
This project played a crucial role in rejuvenating Samoa’s coconut industry by meeting a significant demand for sustainably produced coconut oil while supporting the necessary replanting efforts for the country’s long-term agricultural sustainability.
