Celebrity endorsements cause coconut shortage

A delayed shipment of coconuts has British grocers and breakfast spots falling victim to a global shortage caused by surging demand after celebrities like singer Rihanna and actor Jessica Alba promoted rival coconut-water brands as sports drinks.

The shortage has forced a breakfast dish off the menu at sandwich chain Pret A Manger, while British grocer Asda’s website shows coconuts as being sold out.

Despite 2.5 million acres of new coconut plantings in the last 10 years, global production is stagnating as a result of declining productivity, according to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The downward trend, mainly due to aged palms as well as pests and diseases, pushed spot prices to a record $2,000 per metric ton in May, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Worldwide production of coconut, concentrated in Indonesia, the Philippines and India, stands at 16 million metric tons, according to Fairfood, a nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands. Coconut is in about one in every 20 products, from shampoo to Bounty candy bars, sold at supermarkets, the group says.

Pret A Manger said it sells 6,000 servings of coconut porridge daily. Its diners seeking coconut porridge have been turned away this month, with some told it would not return until early next year.