Official Opening of Santo Coconut Oil Mill, Vanuatu

Its a great day in Louganville...main town of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. After many years of struggling in receivership, COPS Coconut Oil Production Santo Limited officially open the doors again today under the leadership of CEO Bernie Glaser.

Coconuts are a traditional income for around 70% of islands communities and can thus play a pivotal role in the economic empowerment of island nations. At the same time, coconut oil is historically the most price volatile commodity in the world, islands nations are fraught with logistical pitfalls and for may years growers of coconuts and producers of copra have not received their fair share of income.

It is thus accepting a great challenge when the new management team of COPS has committed themselves to an open and transparent system in trading and endeavour to use the mill as a platform for economic empowerment through price and information sharing with growers.

The systems are yet to be put in place, but the commitment is there to operate an ethical and sustainable manner, a significant step forward from many other such operations in the Pacific and around the world.

We look forward to the opportunity to work with COPS to ensure that the aims of all participants, ...farmers, copra producers and the mill can be achieved in a holistic and transparent supply chain management system.