Back To Basics: Ethical Coconut Source

Coconut milk is creamy, delicious, and packed with nutrients, but have you ever wondered about the people behind the harvest? Just like many other supply chains, coconut has a long history of exploitation. When we purchased Buzzd in October, we did a deep dive on the industry and were saddened by all the things we learned.

If you have been following Sarjesa, you’ll know that we believe in the power of business models and supply chain to truly transform the world. We believe we can make beautiful, healthy products that uplift suppliers and end consumers alike.

Many large-scale coconut farms rely on underpaid labor, and in some cases, animals are even exploited for harvesting. The demand for coconut-based products has skyrocketed, but without ethical oversight, it can come at quite the cost. Previously, we have worked with some amazing third-party suppliers to assist with our coconut sourcing. However, this year we will be bringing the relationship more directly to farmers.

So begins our search for coconut milk we can go nuts about. We’ve been tasting so many samples from so many suppliers and we have finally narrowed it down to a couple that we really like that prioritize fair wages, humane working conditions, and sustainability.

A little awareness goes a long way in helping create a more just and sustainable industry.