Coconut Plantations

This video is a live field interview with the founder of Ava Virgin Coconut Oil — Baraka's coconut oil supply chain partner — discussing intercropping and its role in making coconut plantations more sustainable and more productive for the families who tend them. Baraka coconut oil is produced on plantations that practice intercropping: families growing food crops in and amongst the coconut trees, rather than using the land for a single crop.

Conventional coconut agriculture — like much large-scale agriculture worldwide — has historically favoured monoculture: one crop, one purpose, one management system. The argument for monoculture was that it was easier to manage and more productive per crop. Baraka and its partner Ava Virgin Coconut Oil take a different view: that monoculture is generally more destructive of land and habitat, and that a whole-system approach to land use produces better outcomes for the land, the food supply, and the families who work it.

Every purchase of Baraka Traditional Coconut Oil is produced on plantations where intercropping is actively practised. The families who tend the plantations are encouraged to grow food crops alongside the coconut — making the land more productive, contributing to food security, and creating a healthier agricultural system overall. Complete chain-of-custody documentation is available for any order.

Traditional coconut oil is commonly used for dry skin and helps maintain moisture. It is also widely used as a base ingredient in natural skincare and DIY formulations. You can read more about its properties, sourcing, and applications in the complete guide to Traditional Coconut Oil. For formulators looking at practical applications, the Coconut Oil DIY guide and recipe collection covers both the ingredient and its use across a range of formulation types.

Over 90% of the people working with Baraka in Ghana are women. Every purchase supports their ability to work with dignity, earn a fair income, and build futures for their families. To understand the full scope of Baraka's social and environmental commitments, you can read Baraka's Social and Environmental Impact Report.

You can also learn more through these related resources: the fair trade story behind Baraka's ingredients, what chain-of-custody means for natural ingredients, and natural ingredient certifications explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is intercropping and why does Baraka use it?

Intercropping is the practice of growing multiple crops in the same space — in this case, food crops grown in and amongst coconut trees on the plantation. Baraka's coconut oil partner, Ava Virgin Coconut Oil, encourages the families who tend their plantations to practise intercropping rather than monoculture. The result is land that is more productive overall, a contribution to local food security, and a more ecologically balanced agricultural system than single-crop farming provides.

What is wrong with monoculture coconut farming?

Monoculture farming — one crop, one purpose — has been the dominant model in large-scale agriculture because it appeared easier to manage and productive per crop. Baraka and its partner Ava Virgin Coconut Oil take the view that monoculture is generally more destructive of land and habitat than a whole-system approach, and less efficient when the full productivity of the land is considered. Intercropping addresses both of these problems by making more use of the available land and diversifying what it produces.

Who is Ava Virgin Coconut Oil?

Ava Virgin Coconut Oil is Baraka's coconut oil supply chain partner. Their plantations practice intercropping — encouraging the families who tend the coconut trees to also grow food crops in and amongst them. In this video, Ava's founder speaks with Baraka founder Wayne Dunn about the intercropping model, its contribution to sustainability, and its role in supporting food security for the families who work the land.

What is Traditional Coconut Oil used for?

Traditional coconut oil is commonly used for dry skin and helps maintain moisture. It is also widely used as a base ingredient in natural skincare formulations and DIY products — soaps, balms, hair care, and body butters. Baraka's traditional coconut oil is produced on intercropping plantations and is available with complete chain-of-custody documentation for any order.

How does intercropping contribute to food security?

Intercropping makes the land that supports a coconut plantation more productive by allowing it to also produce food crops. For the families who tend the plantations, this means the land they work contributes directly to their food supply alongside their income from coconut production. In regions where food insecurity is a concern, this dual productivity is a meaningful improvement over monoculture farming, which produces only one crop and leaves the rest of the land's potential unused.

About the Author

Wayne Dunn is the founder of Baraka Impact and a former Professor of Practice in Sustainability at McGill University. He holds an M.Sc. in Management from Stanford and has spent over 15 years working directly with the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Ghana's Upper West Region to source traditionally made shea butter and natural oils. He shares DIY skincare recipes and ingredient guides designed to be made at home with real ingredients — and sourced with full transparency about where they come from.