Global Courant 2023-05-05 13:22:43
If you thought coconuts were only good for sipping on a tropical beach, think again. Coconuts are one of the most versatile fruits in the world. There is even a myth that coconut water is a substitute for blood plasma that started in the 1900s. In the twisted theory, coconut water is said to have a content of sugar and other salts that allows it to be added to the bloodstream. Some versions of the myth describe how coconut water was used for emergency transfusions in tropical regions during World War II. While medical experts debunk this information, coconuts are indeed highly nutritious. Better yet, coconuts are customizable. They can serve as milk, flour, chips and crafts. According to Grand View InvestigationThe global market size of coconut by-products is expected to reach $95.64 billion by 2025.
For a small company like funmi coconuts, a native brand that exclusively uses the heterogeneity of coconuts to produce healthy food varieties, it was the right decision to respond to this market. The brand produces by-products ranging from their top-selling coconut swallow to conventional coconut chips and flakes. They also produce coconut pastes, flour, oil, milk, water and desiccated coconuts. Since 2017, the brand has found its way into the homes of many Nigerians, no small feat in an industry already dominated by cheaper but high-carb substitutes. “The initial adoption rate was slow. We had a lot of people say they’d rather buy a bowl of garri than spend money on a box of our coconut swallow,” said Funmi Tuoyo, founder of Funmi Coconuts, also known as the coconut village.
Funmi Tuoyo, founder of Funmi Coconuts aka The Coconut Village.
Funmi became fascinated with coconuts a few years ago when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her mother’s oncologists had advised her mother to eliminate carbohydrate-rich foods from her diet. During her research into healthier alternatives, Funmi came across coconuts. Despite popular belief, coconuts are low in carbohydrates and are a good alternative for diabetes and cancer patients. Unfortunately, her mother passed away, but Funmi was sold on the idea of healthier food alternatives. “There is a whole world of healthier and more accessible options. Unfortunately, these options are not very popular in our society,” she says.
The first time Funmi tried to make coconut oil, it ended in a mess. She had carefully followed the instructions of a YouTube tutorial, but the by-product remained compact. “The internet is a great place to learn new things, but I knew nothing about coconut production. I realized that I would only be wasting resources if I continued to rely on the internet,” she says. “Besides, there is so much more to running a real coconut business that you can’t learn online,” she adds. Unfortunately, at that time, there weren’t many places in the Delta State town of Warri where she could learn the coconut trade. So she raised some money and traveled to Lagos to attend a month-long coconut training program. “My husband was so supportive of me. He was my first investor. He invested an entire month’s salary in my Lagos trip, which was a big deal as I was unemployed at the time and just started a family.”
Funmi Coconuts “Amala” swallow in a bowl of soup. Photo credit: Funmi coconuts.
The underdog in the Funmi Coconuts product line has to be the coconut swallow. It is a low-carb dish made by completely de-milking the coconut meat into a powder form, after which it is dried out and pre-mixed with psyllium, a healthy binding agent, and can be eaten with soups and stews. Funmi coconut swallow comes in two varieties: the coconut fufu, which is pre-mixed with psyllium husk, and the coconut amala, mixed with immature plantain flour. A 1 kg box of Funmi coconut costs 3,500 and is enough for an adult, 8 servings.
Funmi Swallow coconut “fufu” with a bowl of Ogbono soup. Photo credit: Funmi coconuts.
Figuring out the recipe for the coconut swallow mix took Funmi a long time, but the end result is one that some customers swear by. Fitness enthusiast Alexandra Orlando insists she’s not a fan of swallows, but when she ate the coconut-fufu mix, she was hooked. “It’s very good!” she says. “If you’re the type who swears you can’t live without eating swallows, you should definitely consider it as an alternative.” Reviews like Alexandra’s are not new to coconut village. One customer, Ifeoma, swears by the coconut oil after saying it relieved heartburn, while another says the oil had once been a good substitute when she forgot her toothpaste.
During the 2020 lockdown, when many people followed ketogenic diet plans under the guise of making healthier choices, coconut varieties were on many signs around the world. Although the pandemic is over and many have returned to their unhealthy habits, coconut by-products are still a favorite among weight watchers. “One thing I always look forward to is the invigorating effect this one fruit can have on other people,” adds Funmi warmly.
Funmi Coconut Flour is used to bake bread. Photo credit: Funmi coconuts.
Running such a niche business within the food industry comes with challenges. For example, despite the fact that about 22 states in Nigeria grow coconuts, the country can still imports 70% of the popular fruit. As a coastal region, Nigeria has the perfect climate for growing coconuts, but Funmi believes that the strains grown in Nigeria are not as effective in production. “I don’t know if it’s our land, but the coconuts we grow here don’t give us what we want,” notes Funmi. This means she has to get most of her coconuts from neighboring countries like Ghana, a decision that comes at a price.
Recently, Funmi and a few other coconut entrepreneurs have been trying to cross-breed the Ghanaian coconut and the Nigerian variety. They were unsuccessful. But she hasn’t given up yet. “One of our long-term goals is to own a coconut farm,” she says. Niger stands to earn over N20 billion annually from coconut and its derivatives. A 10 hectare farmland of hybrid coconut could yield between N16 million and N20 million annually for the next 30-60 years. But getting people to buy into that prospect can be a daunting task.
Funmi Coconuts candy balls. Photo credit: Funmi coconuts.
At first, Funmi was happy to sell a handful of items daily, but today a few hundred is the norm. Boxes of Funmi Coconuts products can be seen on supermarket shelves across the country and can be ordered from anywhere in the world. And this is proof of her growth. Over the years, she has developed her recipes and trends, having to relearn and unlearn production methods, some of which she teaches in the classes she regularly teaches. Through these classes she has taught students from Dubai, Cameroon and Tanzania.
Aside from the financial benefits of doing business, Funmi is fulfilling knowing she is impacting a healthy lifestyle and filling a needed gap. “Someone recently asked me how we’ve stayed in business all these years, and it got me thinking. Honestly, I’m not sure. But I know we have and we will continue to grow. There is still much we can explore. In the end it’s either we win or we win, there is no going back for Funmi Coconuts.”
