Swiss-pinay’s social enterprise lifts up coconut farmers
I’VE been an ardent user of coconut products for the longest time. For one, coconut sugar is a great low-glycemic alternative to cane sugar—my father’s family has a history of diabetes, so cane sugar is a definite no-no. Coconut milk also makes a delightful addition to any curry dish or traditional Filipino food like kuhol (apple snails), kinilaw (ceviche in vinegar), and my favorite merienda snack: ginataang bilo-bilo (glutinous rice balls in coconut milk).
So when a friend said she was starting a local business selling coconut spread, I was curious. If there’s any upside at all in this Covid-19 pandemic, it’s that people are now keeping close attention to their diets, while many others are becoming entrepreneurial.
Manufactured in Manila from the extracted oil of coconuts harvested from the bountiful Southern Luzon countryside, Sagana Salted Coconut Spread makes a great addition to one’s healthy-foods pantry. I’ve used it as a substitute oneto-one, in place of butter in a few dishes like cookies and as palaman for pandesal, and use it when pan-frying steaks and other meaty dishes.
I had a quick e-mail interview recently with Sagana founder, Swiss-filipina Sharon Cattleya Romero-faude, who has worked in various jobs, such as business administration, education, communications and finance in Manila, Bangkok and Geneva. Sagana, however, is her first “social business venture with my sisters. Winning the 2014 Social Impact Start of Impact Hub Zurich opened the doors for me with the mentorship, knowledge and Swiss-european Union business community network I gained access to.”
She was brought up in the family business, which was mainly crafting gold jewelry and indigenous handicrafts for export.
“Looking back, it was an excellent foundation and exposure to resilience, social entrepreneurship and love for challenging work with high risks.”
COCO-RICH BUT CASH-POOR
IN Geneva, where she now lives, Romero-fraude said she founded Sagana in 2014, seeing the huge potential first of coconut sugar. She is now the sole distributor of the product in Switzerland.
Yet the Philippines, while being the second-largest coconut producing country in the world after Indonesia, has over 15 million coconut farmers who earn below $2 (P100) a day. “They suffer from chronic poverty; they are a dying breed. We are convinced that the strength and wealth of the Philippines lies in our agricultural sector, rural farming communities, and tapping our abundant and sustainable natural resources.”
Sagana created a new product, the salted coconut spread, after Romero-fraude noted that the global dairy-alternative market was projected to grow by 9.8 percent, compounded annually, to $25.12 billion by 2026 from $12.08 billion in 2018. “There are problems to solve, gaps in the global market to fill, and business opportunities to take.”
As a female migrant setting up a social enterprise in Switzerland, Romero-fraude said, “It took a lot of personal motivation, hard work and perserverance to overcome challenges in every phase of development .... We went through many hurdles to create a premium Swiss brand, Swiss-eucompliant packaging, exporting and importing the products, understanding Europe’s multiculturalism, and doing business so we can access sophisticated, mature markets such as Switzerland.”
WHY IT’S HEALTHY
WHAT distinguishes Sagana Coconut Spread from other plant-based spreads is that it does not contain a blend of vegetable oils, and is non-hydrogenated, with zero trans fat. Hydrogenated vegetable oil undergoes processing to enhance its taste, texture and shelf life, and it is this process that forms trans fats, which are bad for the health.
It is made from pure coconut oil, touted as a superfood, and high in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTS), a unique type of fat that metabolizes faster into energy or turns into ketones, aiding in weight loss.
MCTS also boost healthy cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol, which promote digestion and improved metabolic health, and lowers risk of heart disease. This healthier alternative is further fortified with 35 percent Lauric Acid, which improves the immune system with its antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Aside from the healthy lifestyle consumers choose when we start using vegan butter, we also help support the poor coconut farmers and coconut-oil extractors.
Sagana’s sales target for the salted coconut spread is $100,000 in the first year. Romero-fraude promises “more exciting products in the pipeline for the Philippines and the global market. Originally meant for export to Europe, we are very pleased that the Philippines is ready for such products now. 2021 is very promising, and together with our trusted business partners, we are eager to bring our vegan butter to the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast and East Asia in the next six to 18 months.”
Sagana Salted Coconut Spread (www.saganacoconutspread.com.ph) is available at select grocers and specialty food shops in Metro Manila.