Virgin Coconut Oil Producers Association (VCOPA)
Background
Virgin Coconut Oil Producers Association (VCOPA) was formed in 2004 and formally registered as a Charitable Organization on 29th November 2013. VCOPA is committed to assisting the development of coconut resources and it’s by – products to maximise the benefit for the improvement of social and economic livelihoods of all Solomon Islanders.
VCOPA has done this in collaboration with Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands (KPSI) who is the leading partner by establishing Direct Micro Expelling (DME) units in villages throughout the Solomon Islands so that rural communities can produce Certify Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (COVCO) which is exported by KPSI.
Kastom Gaden Association (KGA) was established as a charitable trust in 2000. It grew out of a five-year programme of an Australian NGO focussed on providing services to the subsistence and local market agriculture sector which encompassed the vast majority of the rural population. At the time this sector was poorly-serviced and poorly-recognised by government, donors, and private sector.
Core business
VCOPA’s core business is producing Quality and Organically Certified VCO oil.
Membership
VCOPA has over 60 active members who directly own DME Units and involving about 1,200 nut suppliers.
Activities
Farmer support
VCOPA helps to organise village farmers to invest in planting, management, processing, storage, and transportation. Also in coordinating Association members meetings and trainings.
Organic certification
VCOPA in partnership with Coconut Technology Centre (CTC) provides an internal auditing and compliance system for over 1,200 small farmers and more than 60 DME Owners.
Long Term Activities
In pursuit of it vision, VCOPA has adopted the following mission;
- To secure capital and appropriate Technology to fully harness the developments and production of coconut resources and its bi-products.
- To create ownership of the coconut industry in the rural area by creating job opportunities and maximize benefits of new Technology and empower rural people for their livelihood.
- To increase productivity of the DME units and therefore, the VCO total production to an economically viable quantity.
- To initiate rehabilitation program for the senile coconut plantations and planting new coconut plantations that will encourage multi cropping.
- To create job opportunities for men, women, youth and people with disability in the rural areas.