A women's NGO in Samoa says interest in a community project to produce virgin coconut oil is growing.
The director of Women in Business Development Incorporated, Adi Maimalaga Tafunai, says by utilising new technology, rural families can earn much needed income.
She says research suggests virgin coconut oil has highly valued health benefits, among other values.
Adi Maimalaga says by combining tradition, trade and technology its created an organically certified product, using the principles of fair trade.
"The technology we use was actually created at the Australia National University or the ANU by an Australian economist a number of years ago. We use this technology with an oil press we found that presses oil in New Zealand."
The project is running on Savaii and Upolu in partnership with Oxfam and NZAid.
