Here at Coconut Merchant we believe business should be a force for good. As much as possible, we team up with small independent farmers and farmers cooperatives from across the world to help each other grow. In the case of Kapila, he joined one of our farmers cooperatives in Sri Lanka three years ago and what a journey we have had together!
Kapila lives in a rural town in Puttalam province, with his wife and children on a small coconut plantation. Like many famers, Kapila's challenge was using his plot of land to provide sustained, reliable income for his family.
When we introduce ourselves to our farmers we look how we can collaborate and grow. As an initial step, we work with our partners to help them grow the best coconuts. This helps ensure we can make the best coconut products for our customers. We then pay up to 20% above market rates for the coconuts they produce, and try work with them to forecast how much we will need in the coming months.
This means that for every 1L jar of coconut oil, £2 goes directly to our farming partners. And while the extra income is great, what it really means is our partners have surety of income and more financial freedom - which they can then use on things important to them: clean water, private healthcare for their family, education for their children, or reinvestment to grow their businesses.
What it also means is that our products have high nutritional value and have a story of growth attached to every single one. We sell to conscious consumers who want a high quality product and who care about ethical sourcing and their impact on the world. While we are by no means perfect, we are now partnering with the UN sponsored Business Call to Action, to see how our business model can be replicated.
We’re a few years down the line in our partnership with Kapila. As we have grown, so has his operation. He now has higher coconut yields, meaning he gets more income from the same plantation. His wife has their third child on the way and are looking to send their first daughter to university.
We love happy stories and we know business can be a force for good, and it seems like our customers know that too. With 5 stars on TrustPilot and endless happy reviews on Amazon and our website, we’re really proud of the impact we’re having.
To visit our ethical sourcing policy click here.