 More coconut facts:  Coconut is believed to have first grown in the Western Pacific.
Now it grows on about 12 million hectares in 90 countries.
About 50 million people make their living from growing coconuts, about 42 million of these are in Asia.
96% of the world's coconut crops grow on small plots of less than 4 hectares.
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International Plant Genetic resources
Institute
Via dei Tre Denari, 472/a
00057 Maccarese
(Fiumicino)
Rome, Italy
Tel: (+39) 0661181
Fax: (+39) 0661979661
Email: ipgri@cgiar.org
www.ipgri.cgiar.org
IPGRI is
a Future Harvest Centre supported by the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
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COGENT |
The International Coconut Genetic
Resources Network
The coconut, Cocos nucifera L., is a smallholder crop, grown on about 11.6
million
hectares in 86 countries. It is widely known as the 'tree of life' because it provides
more than 100 separate products, including food, drink, fuel, livestock feed,
fibre and building materials. If the coconut were to be exploited to its full
potential, it would increase food production, improve nutrition, generate
income, create employment opportunity, enhance equity and help conserve the
environment. But the coconut, however, faces several problems that affect its
production and competitiveness such as low yield, unstable market for its
traditional products, pests and diseases, natural calamities, aging of palms,
and genetic erosion. National research capabilities to address these problems
are limited and patchy and need to be strengthened.
In 1992, IPGRI, with the endorsement of the CGIAR,
established COGENT to promote a worldwide programme for the conservation and
use of the genetic resources of this important crop. The network's goal is to
help national programmes address their common problems and opportunities around
coconut.
COGENT's priority action areas include the establishment of an
international coconut genetic resources database; collecting, conserving and
evaluating representative diversity and promoting its use; and developing strategies and
techniques for efficient germplasm conservation and use. At present, COGENT has
38 member countries, which have committed to collaborate in research, and share
germplasm and information.
COGENT's current workplan includes the development of an international
coconut genetic resources database, collecting and conservation of
representative diversity in all member countries; development of improved techniques for embryo
culture, cryopreservation, in situconservation and development of molecular
markers techniques for locating diversity and for promoting safe movement of
germplasm; the establishment of a multi-site International Coconut Genebank; and
studies of diversity in coconut traits including drought resistance,
suitability for high value products, and compatibility for intercropping.
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