The Coconut: traditional crop to threatened lifestyleBy Paul CarlsonCulture, Food and Agriculture, 2007The scientific name for the coconut is Cocos nucifera. It is perhaps one ofthe most widely spread fruit through natural means in the world, and because of this and the many utilitarian uses of this plant it has become an extremely important plant for indigenous populations. But the coconut now is facing the effects of globalization. From indigenous crop, to disappearing resource, the coconut is a threatened crop. The ever increasing use of monocrops being forced upon the developing world is destroying the traditional methods of agriculture in indigenous populations all in the name of profit for the Western world.The story of the coconut goes back fifteen million years. The first fossil records date to this time, being found in India in the regions of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra. Coconut palm tree fossils have also been discovered in New Zealand but these fossils fall a little bit short of the fifteen million year mark. It is impossible to say where exactly the origin of the coconut is because of the breadth where the coconut grows, but it is believed the Pacific Ocean/the Indian Ocean regions is the birthplace.Today, the coconut is found on every continent in the world, save Antarctica, and in around 200 different countries. It is found between the latitudes 25° N and 29° S, and thrives mainly in these regions. Coconut palms have been found growing North of this mark, as well as South, but the fruits no longer grow as plentiful as in the region listed above. It is in this region that the 1coconut is mainly produced and used by indigenous populations, and now by industry. Although the coconut’s main area of production is this region, this does not mean that every country that falls between these latitudes actively produce the coconut. The coconut has relatively specific requirements in order for it to survive and prosper, namely: sandy soils, high amounts of sunlight, high amountsof rain, and also high humidity. In places that do not meet these criteria growth ispossible, and perhaps even production as well, but is not optimal. The number offruits on a palm decreases, and it is difficult to grow the palms in clusters. For these reasons, we see production of coconuts in a few regions that are optimal for nucifera growth. The fruit grows on a palm tree that can be up to 30 m tall. The leaves are called pinnate leaves, which can be up to 6 m long; these leaves break cleanly off of the tree, giving it a smooth trunk. The flowers of the palm tree are polygamomonoecious, meaning they are both male and female. This allows for unisex reproduction, which has been important in the spreading of the coconut over the globe. The fruit of this palm is a one-seeded drupe. Drupes are fleshy fruit-coated seed plants, the cherry is another example of a drupe. The outside of the coconut is the husk, which starts out green but is often dried and will turn brown. This is the fruit of the coconut, but not one for people to eat. Inside of this is the mesocarp. The mesocarp is made up of vascular strands. These individual strands are called the coir. The tree being vascular allows for its extremely tall size. Vascular strands are the method of water absorption that the 2coconut utilizes. The inside grouping of these will harden and form the “stone” which protects the inner seed. On the inside of this shell is a white flesh called copra, which with the coconut water makes up the endosperm for the plant. A seed will form, which feeds off of the water. Excess water will become part of theseed’s endosperm wall, increasing the size and volume of copra.There is a myth that there is another part of the coconut, the coconut pearl. The coconut pearl is formed in the embryonic region and forms a calcareous pearl of aragonite. While a number of pearls have been seen and recorded over the years, there is no recording of a blind coconut being opened and a pearl being found. But due to the extremely rare chances of finding one this is not surprising. The odds of finding one are about one in a million.This unique structure of the fruit and seed is what has allowed for the widespread of the plant. The plant grows best on beaches; the seed will fall from the tree when the seed begins to be fertilized. As beaches are close to the water, the coconut will fall from the tree and then be taken into the sea, whether by rolling into the water and being swept away by the current, or by being carried away by the tide. Seeds have been found as far north as Norway and Northern Europe and Asia.The various names for the coconut might have shed light on the origin of this plant, but this seems to be inconclusive. The coconut was first referenced in early Sanskrit from the 4th century BC. The name kalpa vruksham translates to “the tree which provides all the necessities of life.” Up to the 6th century it was widely grown and produced over South Asia and the Pacific, and would be finally 3imported to Egypt. From Egypt they became widely traded with Europe. Here there were an item reserved for royalty, but were well recognized by everyone. Marco Polo recognized the “Pharaoh’s nut” when he made his travels East through Asia. The rarity of the coconut is shown in the Middle Ages where the shells were sometimes polished and then cast in gold for decoration in the houses of lords. It wasn’t till about the 19th century that they became over abundant. This is best demonstrated by the use of this fruit. Lords in the tenth tothirteenth centuries would occasionally encase these fruits in gold; in the nineteenth century, people would throw them at each other, similar to a snowball fight, called “coconut shies”.The name “Coconut” is actually of Spanish origin. The name derives from the word ‘coco’ which means goblin or specter. The word ‘coco’ was also associated with a grinning face. The coconut has three eye holes that are for germination, but give it the perception of being a face.Because of the long history of the coconut, it has become entwined with many cultural practices of indigenous peoples. For example, Balinese women are not allowed to touch the plant. Often the plant is perceived as a masculine plant, and it is believed that if the women touch the palm they will drain it of all of their fertility.In India the fruit has divine