We eat millions of tonnes of coconuts every year - with the dense white flesh of the fruit making a tasty snack and the juice a refreshing drink. But the inedible husk and shell go to waste – and it’s this part that innovators and entrepreneurs around the world are now putting to work to solve a whole host of problems. In Sierra Leone, a personal tragedy was the catalyst for young entrepreneur Alhaji Siraj Bah to start a business which takes the coconut husk and turns it into an alternative to charcoal - which is good for the forests and could potentially save lives too. And we hear about the start-up using coconut to keep fish, fruit and vegetables cool for longer without using any plastic. People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Eric Mugaju Producer: Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls (Photo: Farmers in Teluk Payo village, south Sumatra are peeling the skin of coconuts to be turned into copra or charcoal, 13 July, 2022. Credit: Sigit Prasetya/Getty Images)
Hey there.
This is Myra Anubi.
As you know by now, I love talking about solutions.
So this week, I'm taking you back to a few projects that we looked at in Sierra Leone and in the US that are doing clever things with coconut waste.
Welcome to People Fixing the World from the BBC World Service.
I'm Mayra Anubi and I'm all about solutions.
On this program, I look at smart ideas trying to fix everyday problems.
Now, today, we're going nuts.
Coconuts, to be precise.
We're going to meet the people who are cleverly using this fruit to solve a whole host of problems, from keeping food cool to treating dirty water.
When I think of coconuts, I think of being in a beautiful tropical place, surrounded by palm trees and a lovely warm breeze, sipping on the cool juice from that hard shell.
Sadly, I'm in the studio in London on a gloomy day.
But one thing that is true is that many people like me, love coconut.
We use it in our food, on our bodies, on our hair.
In fact, According to the UN, 60 million tonnes of coconuts are grown every year.
Unfortunately, all this production leaves behind a trail of coconut shell waste that's hard to dispose of.
Now, I wanted to know if anything was being done about this, and as it turns out, this problem is not a hard nut to crack.
Our reporter Eric Mugadju went to Sierra Leone in West Africa to find out about our first solution.
Today, it's a project that's using coconut waste in a way that's better for the planet and is helping to save lives.
I'm here in Freetown, enjoying one of the city's favorite street coconut.