7 Aug 2012

Samoa business group considers Hawaii to expand coconut oil production

10:56 am on 7 August 2012

Samoa's Women in Business Development Incorporated and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement have made a commitment to explore the expansion of the production of coconut oil to Hawaii and Native Hawaiian family farmers.

The Executive Director of Women in Business, Adi Tafuna'i says over the last 16 years they have worked with small groups of indigenous producers to establish coconut oil processing systems to supply large markets.

Ms Tafuna'i says by working with small farming families, the Pacific is establishing itself as capable of meeting market demand that would otherwise not be possible for a single family or island in the Pacific.

The project of advancing coconut oil production includes native families from Tonga, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Samoa.