Coconets Invade the World!

This is cool!

An entry from the Philippines has become the finalist in Newsweek and BBC's The World Challenge contest.

The project is called COCONETS discovered by Juboken Enterprises which uses waste coconut products like the husk of the coconut to control soil erosion.

Here are details of the Coconet project and a fuzzy screenshot of the voting page with all the other finalists from all over the world Really awesome!

The World Challenge is basically a competition/search designed at identifying groups or individuals all over the world whose projects have contributed great impact at grass roots level.


COCONETS: COCONUTS FOR EROSION CONTROL -- PHILIPPINES


Preventing landslides in the Philippines using waste coconut husks In little more than two generations the Philippines has seen nearly all its jungle vanish.

With little regard to the future, loggers and squatters have destroyed watersheds. The inevitable result has been landslides sweeping away topsoil. In 1995 agricultural engineer Justino Arboleda started Juboken Enterprise to combat soil erosion. The company makes nets that act as surrogate tree roots by holding loose soils together. Joboken's coconut plantations provide the fibre. The nets are made from waste coconut husks: an eco-friendly solution to a developing eco-disaster. The 'coconets' were rapidly taken up throughout the Philippines, and Arboleda began to develop other uses for the different waste products generated on his coconut farms. These included doormats, stuffing for car seats and mattresses, and fertiliser (made from coconut dust) suitable for organic farms. But the flagship product is still going strong: coconets are now being produced at a rate of 30,000 square metres per month for markets throughout the world. This continuing success has improved the lives of more than 1500 families in the Philippines: each family involved in the project earns an additional income of around US$5 dollars per day. These achievements have been honoured by the President of the Philippines, who in 2004 presented Juboken Enterprise with a special award.

Coconets will appear on BBC World Saturday 17 September at 08:30 GMT, 13.30 GMT, 20:30 GMT. The finalist advertorial will appear in the international Newsweek editions (EMEA, Asia, Latin America): On Sale 15 September

Click here to vote in The World Challenge!