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 ICC and the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) jointly hosting the International Workshop on Strengthening Coconut Genebanks for a Climate Resilient and Sustainable Future in Kasaragod, Kerala. The workshop convened over 30 resource speakers and participants from 14 countries, including H.E. Ambassador Diar Nurbintoro, Director of the Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM-CSSTC).
The four-day program combined technical sessions with rich cultural experiences. Delegates participated in six scientific sessions and thirteen flash talks by young researchers, covering topics from genebank management to genomics and AI-driven breeding. Key takeaways included the call for harmonized genebank practices, creation of a centralized coconut genetic resources database, updated biosecurity protocols, stronger technical capacity in cryopreservation and tissue culture, and the drafting of a global roadmap for genebank development.
Parallel to the workshop, India’s national-level celebrations were inaugurated by Shri Rajmohan Unnithan, Honorable Member of Parliament, Kasaragod, and presided over by Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, DDG (Horticultural Sciences), ICAR. In her keynote, Dr. Jelfina C. Alouw, ICC Director General, emphasized that collaboration, not competition, is key to overcoming global challenges. Dr. K. Balachandra Hebbar, CPCRI Director, underscored CPCRI’s role in sustainable productivity and warned against market distortions caused by sudden price fluctuations. Dignitaries including Dr. J. Dinakara Adiga, Director of ICAR–DCR Puttur, and Dr. Augustine Jerard, Project Coordinator (Palms) highlighted the cultural and economic value of coconut and the need for research-driven solutions.
India (CDB): Export Awards and Revised Schemes
Alongside the CPCRI-led international events, the Coconut Development Board (CDB), India hosted celebrations at the Adlux Convention Centre, Angamaly. The program was marked by the launch of revised CDB schemes designed to promote integrated coconut development and climate resilience, and the presentation of the Export Excellence Awards recognizing outstanding performance in the coconut industry.
In his inaugural address, Shri M.K. Raghavan, Honorable MP, emphasized the need for product diversification and productivity gains, calling on Kerala farmers to regain their leadership position in coconut cultivation. Dr. Prabhat Kumar, CEO of CDB, highlighted the enhanced subsidies under revised schemes, including a dramatic increase in support for area expansion and seedling production. Shri Suba Nagarajan, CDB Chairman, reiterated the Board’s vision of a climate-resilient coconut economy supported by value addition and skill development. Nearly 2,000 participants, including farmers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, attended the event, which also featured a technical session on processing, value addition, and marketing. The awards recognized excellence in categories ranging from shell-based products to coconut water and FPO-led exports.
Sri Lanka: Launch of the Northern Coconut Triangle
In Sri Lanka, ICC’s Deputy Director General represented the Director General at the National World Coconut Day celebrations in Jaffna, which were held under the patronage of H.E. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The event was marked by the launch of the Northern Coconut Triangle, a transformative initiative spanning five districts—Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, and Vavuniya. With Rs. 500 million allocated to develop 16,000 acres in 2025 and a target of 40,000 acres by 2027, the program aims to create a thriving coconut industry in the Northern Province.
The President emphasized revitalizing the North’s economy, protecting land and cultural rights, and promoting national unity. He also inaugurated the province’s first coconut seed production unit at Pallai and handed over ownership deeds to farmers. The ICC presented a plaque of appreciation to the President, acknowledging his leadership and support to the coconut sector.
Philippines: National Coconut Week and Farmer-Led Innovations
In the Philippines, World Coconut Day coincided with the 39th National Coconut Week, organized by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). A series of events took place in Manila and across regional research centers, combining technical webinars, technology clinics, exhibitions, and cultural festivities.
The celebrations showcased innovations by coconut farmers and enterprises in processing, product diversification, and sustainability. Farmers’ cooperatives and entrepreneurs highlighted new coconut-based products and technologies that address both domestic markets and export opportunities.
During the R&D webinar and technology clinics, experts provided farmers with hands-on guidance on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). PCA leadership emphasized strengthening farmer-entrepreneurship, sustainability, and value chain integration.
The events highlighted the coconut’s dual role as both a traditional staple and a modern economic resource, reinforcing the Philippines’ status as the world’s largest exporter of coconut products.
Thailand: Celebrations in Surat Thani Province
In Thailand, the Department of Agriculture through the Horticulture Research Institute and Chumphon Horticultural Research Center organized World Coconut Day celebrations at the Coconut Hybrid Seed Garden, Thachana District, Surat Thani Province. The program, co-organized with regional agricultural extension offices and private sector partners, was inaugurated by Mr. Amnuai Attarungrong, representing the Deputy Director General of the Department of Agriculture.
The event included a forum discussion on the coconut sector’s status, future expansion of replanting, and strategies to boost farmer incomes and industrial benefits. Participants from the government, industry, and community organizations discussed ways to expand replanting programs, improve value chains, and secure farmer livelihoods.
Côte d’Ivoire: Strong Government Commitment to Revitalize the Coconut Sector
Côte d’Ivoire marked World Coconut Day 2025 with a strong policy announcement by Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production. Speaking at the celebrations, the Minister announced the extension of the Hevea-Palm Oil Council’s mandate to include coconut, in line with a Presidential ordinance issued on 12 February 2025.
He highlighted that the sector has faced significant structural challenges, including a 70% decline in production due to aging plantations and insufficient replanting. The government is determined to reverse this decline by launching large-scale replanting programs, strengthening extension services, attracting private investment, and mobilizing technical and financial partners.
Côte d’Ivoire remains one of Africa’s most important coconut producers, with annual revenues exceeding 60 billion FCFA and exports valued at 19.61 billion FCFA in 2024. The Minister reaffirmed the State’s vision for a competitive and sustainable coconut sector and emphasized the country’s pivotal role in ICC as both a founding member and host of the International Coconut Collection established in 1999.
A roadmap of government actions was presented, including the September 2024 Coconut Revitalization Summit in Abidjan and integration with ICC’s global roadmap. The celebrations concluded with a call for unity among stakeholders, greater research investment, and enhanced farmer training to ensure the resilience and competitiveness of the sector.
Papua New Guinea: Coconut in Independence Celebrations
In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Kokonas Indastri Koporesen (KIK) did not hold a dedicated WCD program but integrated coconut into the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary celebrations. On 29 August, KIK participated in a celebratory float parade with a coconut-themed display, winning third place out of 40 entries. The float highlighted the cultural and economic significance of coconut in PNG and served as a symbolic WCD observance.
A Global Celebration with Shared Goals
World Coconut Day 2025 celebrations across countries highlighted the centrality of coconut to cultural heritage, rural livelihoods, and sustainable development. The diversity of events—from policy-level workshops in India to farmer-led innovations in the Philippines, from national-scale initiatives in Sri Lanka to government-driven revitalization in Côte d’Ivoire—underscored the coconut’s role as a unifying crop across continents.
This year’s observances not only celebrated the coconut’s cultural and economic importance but also advanced a collective roadmap for conservation, climate resilience, and innovation, reaffirming the ICC’s mission to unite member countries in strengthening the coconut sector globally.