A Filipino scientist has turned coconut husks into a kind of self-destruct net but is very durable. Coir net is effective against erosion of sloping lands and river banks, stimulating plant growth and creating jobs for farmers.
Called "Coconut Net", the product has been used in infrastructure projects in the archipelago as well as in China and Sri Lanka.
In addition, coir net also won the First Prize of the BBC World Challenge 2005. It surpassed 456 other products from 90 countries, bringing Justino Arboleda $ 20,000.
Arboleda's initiative stems from a study in the late 1980s. The research was funded by the Asian Development Bank and conducted by Arboleda.
The results of the study show that the majority of farmers in the Bicol region (east of Manila) live below the poverty line, unable to earn enough money from their small plots. Copra is the only part of economic value, as raw materials for the production of vegetable oils, soaps, animal feed and industrial raw materials.
Coconut shells are the biggest waste from coconut growing areas. According to Arboleda estimates, the Philippines generates 12 billion coconut husks per year and 75% of this is thrown away. "We want to create jobs for farmers, especially women, who are often idle after every coconut harvest," he said.
So Arboleda found a way to crush coconut husks, turn them into fibers, and bring these fibers to farmer households. Here, the housewives will weave them into a very strong fiber to make a net.
Arboleda said his coir net is not only resistant to soil erosion. It also absorbs water, prevents the soil from being eroded, while creating a fertile layer for plants to grow. In tests, coconut fibers can last up to 4 years in submerged conditions.
Coconut coir netting is currently used to keep exposed soil in dam construction projects, national highways in the Philippines, preventing landslides in hillside housing projects, covering landfill landfills ... Arboleda has established. a company specializing in producing this kind of net, creating jobs and increasing income for farmers in the region.
