World Coconut Day is observed on September 2 every year since 2009 to highlight the benefits of coconuts. The day aims at creating awareness about the importance of the coconut and its potential to ward off various diseases and create employment. It showcases how coconut farming and ways can be a livelihood to farmers thus reducing poverty. World Coconut day was started by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) headquartered at Jakarta in Indonesia. Countries that produce coconuts on a large scale including India are members of APCC. This year, the theme for World Coconut Day is 'Coconut for Good Health, Wealth & Wellness'.

It is an inter-governmental organisation of 18-member countries which promotes, coordinate and harmonise coconut developmental activities of the Asian Pacific region. India is a founder member of the organisation. While coconut has been widely used more in Asia and tropical countries, it is only in the 2000s, coconut water became popular in the west.  Is Coconut Oil Really ‘Pure Poison’? Expert Reveals The Truth About The Controversial Superfood

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Some of the events held internationally on World Coconut Day include cracking a coconut, cooking a new dish using coconut, throwing a coconut theme party. Schools also promote the day educating the use of coconuts. Coconut Development Board in Kochi's Kerala which is a subsidiary of Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India would be organising a State level workshop "Coconut for better Health, Prosperity and Riches" in Jharkhand.

Know the benefits of coconuts here:

At Indira Gandhi Agriculture University, Raipur and Horticulture department in Chhattisgarh, a seminar that may be attended by 500 farmers has been arranged. An exhibition to showcas latest technology on production of coconut would be displayed. Recently, coconut was in the news when its oil despite being considered as the most preferred form of cooking oil in many parts of the world was termed as 'poison'. Harvard professor Karin Michels was criticised as coconut oil is widely used in Asian countries however some experts also supported her saying her statements were right.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 02, 2018 11:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).