There is a common saying in Sri Lanka that goes something like “Kana kokaage suda penenne igilunaamalu” or “The whiteness of the crane only appears in flight.” This saying is supposed to represent the fleeting nature of life’s joy and wonder. And how, far too often, humans take for granted some of the things we depend on the most. It’s true – we seem to truly value a thing only when it’s near its expiration, and all too often it’s too late to do anything meaningful to stop or reverse the changes we see happening.
One could argue that coconuts, the versatile fruit that became a viral meme for presidential candidate Kamala Harris in 2023, is arriving at a similar point in the island nation of Sri Lanka. Located just off the coast of India, Sri Lanka boasts the largest per capita consumption of coconuts in the world. According to a recent survey, a family of five consume at least one coconut on average every day. It’s used for everything from food, to building materials, to a fuel known as coconut shell charcoal.
But coconut production on the island, which ranks among the highest in the world for quality and quantity, has steadily declined in recent years. Many scientists point to climate change impacts including intensive heat and prolonged drought as the main causes for the disruption. The reduction in supply has made Sri Lanka more reliant on foreign imports, which has also caused the price to exponentially increase by over 18% in the past year. The situation in Sri Lanka has gotten so bad that coconuts are now being auctioned off at record prices rather than being sold in the open market.
But why are coconuts so important to the people of Sri Lanka in the first place? And how did they become so embedded in the culture that their scarcity now threatens the very fabric of the country? While we know that climate change has been disrupting agriculture for years, it seems that impacts to the Sri Lankan coconut harvest has produced a more significant response. This suggests that there is something worth saving here, something that might even extend beyond the fruits themselves.
Humble Beginnings
There is historical evidence that coconuts were first harvested in Sri Lanka in the early first century BCE, when the island was ruled by the early Sinhalese people. Sri Lanka is part of a small network of tropical climates that are considered native territory for the coconut palm trees. The geography of the island is specially suited for the coconut palm trees, due to its rich soil and humid tropical climate. The coconuts during this period were harvested for food and beverages, but they also had many others uses. The fibers of the coconut were used for ropes and other tools, and the shells themselves were used as storage and serving containers.
Other civilizations saw the same versatility in coconuts, and eventually there was a demand for them around the ancient world as a commodity. The coconut trade in the early centuries CE extended all the way to the Arabian and Roman worlds. This trade value would also extend to the colonial period, where British, Dutch and Portuguese colonizers used their military advantage to exploit the island’s precious resources of rubber and coconuts for their own gain. Coconut production increased heavily during the colonial period, and became more centralized with the formation of the Coconut Development Authority that manages and ensures mass production of coconuts to this day.
These foreign influences came to a head in the 1930s and 1940s when Sri Lanka fought for independence and freedom from their British colonizers. Throughout its history, Sri Lanka’s important location as a trade hub, as well as its cultivation of important resources like coconuts, caused the island and its people to be constantly marred with exploitation and violence. This was never more apparent than in 2022, when the country had to declare bankruptcy due to economic and political instability.
However, the importance of the coconut in Sri Lanka extends far beyond mere economic or political influence. The humble fruit is also revered culturally and even appears in ancient myths and legends. For example, the Prince Vijaya, an ancient father figure who landed on the island along with 700 others, is said to have been gifted coconut water upon his arrival. The fruit shows up in countless dishes and beverages. It’s no wonder the Sri Lankan coconut tree is given the nickname “Tree of Life” among its people.
The fascination with coconuts even extends into the religious realm of life in Sri Lanka. Breaking a coconut is seen by some as an offering to higher powers. And not only that, but they contain powerful abilities to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity and good fortune. Coconuts aren’t just vessels of sustenance for Sri Lankas, they are quite literally vessels of life and abundance. So it’s no wonder that, as supplies of this essential life-giving resource is imperiled, people are beginning to raise alarms about the economic and cultural ramifications of coconut scarcity.
Climate Disruption and Response
Luckily, there is some cause for hope. The new government and its leader, President Dissanayake, who was the former Minister of Agriculture, has made sustainability a priority in his administration. Additionally, local advocacy groups are encouraging each home to plant their own coconut tree, in the hopes that people will once again cultivate their own coconuts as was done centuries ago. However, given the three years it takes to grow and cultivate coconuts, this isn’t a permanent solution to an immediate problem. And there are still concerns that industrial development may take precedence over small scale agriculture.
The story of coconut scarcity in Sri Lanka isn’t black and white. It’s easy to point fingers at colonization, trade policies, or the economy, but the truth is more complicated. Climate change however poses a long-term risk to the region’s ability to produce coconuts. Along with obvious impacts to food supply this also disrupts the myriad of other uses and industries that rely on those products. And alongside these economic implications are the inevitable social problems arising from coconuts being treated as a commodity that only the richest can afford.
But there are signs that the industry is fighting back against climate change. Coconut fibers are currently being used to build coir logs, a sustainable and biodegradable mat that can be used to protect shorelines from erosion. Because the material is a natural by-product, it is easy to source and work with. And it has shown to protect eroding banks from sea level rise and other threats. These logs, much like the people of Sri Lanka, are proof that adapting to change and coming up with creative solutions to the climate crisis are all within our reach. Sometimes all you have to do is look up.
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