A Filipino scientist has transformed coconut husks into a biodegradable yet highly durable netting. This netting helps prevent soil erosion in sloped lands and riverbanks, stimulates plant growth, and creates job opportunities for farmers.
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Coconut netting weaving in the Philippines |
Called “coconut netting,” this innovative product has been utilized in infrastructure projects throughout the Philippines, as well as in China and Sri Lanka.
Additionally, the coconut netting won first place in the BBC World Challenge 2005. It outperformed 456 other products from 90 countries, earning Justino Arboleda a $20,000 prize.
Arboleda’s initiative originated from a study conducted in the late 1980s, which was funded by the Asian Development Bank.
The study revealed that the majority of farmers in the Bicol region (eastern Manila) live below the poverty line and struggle to earn a living from their small plots of land. Dry coconut husks were found to be the only economically viable product, serving as raw material for producing vegetable oil, soap, animal feed, and industrial materials.
Coconut husks are the largest waste product in coconut-growing areas. According to Arboleda’s estimates, the Philippines generates 12 billion coconut husks annually, with 75% of these being discarded. “We wanted to create jobs for farmers, especially women, who often find themselves idle after each coconut harvest,” he stated.
Thus, Arboleda developed a method to grind the coconut husks, transforming them into fibers, which were then distributed to farming households. Here, homemakers weave these fibers into a strong netting material.
Arboleda explained that his coconut netting not only combats soil erosion but also absorbs water, prevents rain-induced soil erosion, and creates a fertile layer for plant growth. In trials, the coconut fibers can last up to four years even when submerged in water.
The coconut netting is currently used to stabilize exposed soil in dam construction, highways, prevent landslides in hillside housing projects, and cover landfills. Arboleda has established a company dedicated to producing this netting, creating jobs and increasing income for local farmers.
Minh Sơn
