Coconut: A Sustainable Source Providing Plant Protein and Several Coproducts
Authors
L.L.W. Chandi Yalegama, Sumudu N. Warnakulasuriya, I.M.S.K. Idirisinghe, H.P.D.T. Hewa Pathirana, Janitha P.D. Wanasundara
Abstract
Coconut is a tropical palm and a multipurpose tree that provides immense benefits to human life. It is an excellent example that all edible components of the fruit are used as food or food ingredients that can be converted into a variety of food products containing essential nutrients, including protein. Besides that, all the inedible components of the plant and the fruit are used for energy generation and a range of industrial materials and products that support human life. Coconut is a special oilseed crop for two reasons: (1) it is a perennial plant with a longer economic life than most other commercially cultivated annual oilseed crops; therefore, land, water, and energy use can be optimized to reach sustainable production in relation to input use; and (2) there is no other crop that is comparable with coconut in providing multiple products and applications from vegetative components and components of the fruit for human use. Coconut products are well positioned in the increasing demand for plant-based foods, particularly in the increasing demand for protein-based products. The cultivation and production of coconut have a unique position in circular agriculture—no waste is unused while optimizing resource use. In the plant-forward and plant-protein food trend, coconut products swiftly penetrate due to their preferred flavor and taste. New products of coconut are evolving, as is the knowledge of the health and nutritional benefits of oil and kernel components.
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