Agribusiness and cultivation of coconut in the Netherlands at the end of colonial era

This research explains the importance of smallholder coconut cultivation (small plantations) that produce copra as the main product in East Indonesia during the end of Dutch colonial era. For approximately eight decades, the economy of Eastern Indonesia depends a lot on copra (“green gold”). The inhabitants of Eastern Indonesia, particularly Sulawesi Island, the people’s coconut plants that produce copra had become important trade commodities, since the 1880s, when European nations used copra as an important basic material in making soap and butter and atomic bombs. In essence, the coconut plant is suitable for land elevations between 5-1000 meters above sea level, with an average air temperature of 27°C-28°C. Coconut plants need a minimum of 2000 hours of sunshine per year, with rainfall ranging from 1300-2300 mm per year. It is also suitable for soils that contain a lot of limestone and alluvium, which contains a lot of texture fertile soil.