Nourishing remote coconut communities
The story behind Kokonut Pacific is nothing short of inspirational. Established in 1994, the company’s founder Dr. Dan Etherington (now affectionately known as ‘Dr. Dan’) was motivated by a deep longing to help poverty-stricken coconut farmers around the world.
In these remote regions, the coconut palm, also referred to as the ‘Tree of Life’, due to its hardiness and reliability, produces year-round crops. It has a wide range of derivable products, from coconut oil to soap, as well being a nutritious food source. Dr. Dan was captivated by the ‘magic’ of the coconut tree and its potential ability to support and nourish whole communities.
At the time, Copra production (an expensive, labour-intensive coconut farming process used to extract coconut oil) had become the most commonly seen practise across coconut palm abundant countries like Sri Lanka, the Solomon Islands and Mozambique. Dr. Dan likened copra production to modern-day slavery, where dirty, smoky mills forced workers into unhealthy environments with little financial compensation for their efforts.
The lightbulb moment
There had to be another way, and eventually, Dr. Dan found it. In 1992, he learnt about the people of the remote Tuvalu Island in the centre of the South Pacific. They had long ago discovered how to cold-press coconut oil from sun-dried coconut. Here, he realised was the answer. Using this new knowledge, he collaborated with other experts in the field to develop ‘Direct Micro Expelling’ (DME) technology.
This manual press consistently produced exceptionally high-quality oil, and better still, the entire manufacturing process could be performed directly within a rural village. The process is also fast; in a couple of hours, it can achieve what the copra process can only produce in a week. What’s more, the financial return for farmers is considerably more lucrative using the DME process. On average, farmers accumulate two to three times more income than they’d make from copra production.
Kokonut Pacific has gone from strength to strength. “Since 1994 hundreds of businesses have been built using Direct Micro Expelling to make virgin coconut oil, benefitting coconut communities in over 30 countries around the globe.”
With their motto, “Empowering and Bringing Hope”, Kokonut Pacific’s mission is to provide simple, manually operated technology to families, farmers and remote villages to improve the lives of their local communities.
Sadly, founders Dr. Dan and his wife Maureen both passed away in 2024. Their son Richard had been leading Kokonut Pacific for several years and continued to do so until early 2025. In February, Ian Gray — who had served as the company’s Operations Manager since 2003 — stepped into the role of Managing Director. Together with a dedicated team, Kokonut Pacific continues the extraordinary work it has been doing for over 30 years.
“We introduced Virgin Coconut Oil made in the Solomon Islands, using equipment designed and made by us in Australia” Richard reflects. “We brought in coconut flour, developed coconut amino sauces and vegan ghee. These innovative products required a lot of customer education, but we always had a receptive base in the health food sector.”
Established Exhibitors at Naturally Good
Kokonut Pacific are longstanding exhibitors at the Naturally Good expo, and this year’s 10th anniversary celebration marks another exciting chapter for the company. “We’ve been exhibiting since the early days,” says Managing Director Ian Gray. “It’s one of the best ways to connect face-to-face with our customers and partners. Naturally Good is always a great opportunity to see what’s happening in the wider industry and share what we’ve been working on. This year, we’re looking forward to showcasing our latest range — Niulife Hydrate Coconut Water Electrolyte Powder — which is expanding our offering into the sports supplements space.”
The Naturally Good expo will take place on 26th and 27th May 2025 at ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour. Don’t miss out! Click here to register.