By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A husband-and-wife entrepreneur duo are voicing fears their proposed joint venture with government to create “a sustainable coconut processing industry” is being sidelined because “foreign is better”.

Youlette Davis and her husband Rob, who founded the Coconut Factory, now known as Emporium de Coconut, some 14 years ago told Tribune Business they could not understand why the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources had failed to respond to their proposal for three-four months until they saw news reports on a Cabinet minister’s visit to China.

TV broadcasts, as well as an article on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website, disclosed that Alfred Sears KC, minister of Immigration and National Insurance, recently toured China’s Coconut Research Institute (CRI) and its flagship facility, called the ‘Kingdom of Spring Coconut’.

Mr Sears was said to have described his visit as “extraordinary”, noting that The Bahamas could benefit from the technology and innovation he had witnessed. “One coconut can create over 300 different products,” he was quoted as saying.

“In The Bahamas, the coconut is part of our culture. It’s in our cuisine, our crafts and, of course, our tropical drinks. With the sustainable technologies developed here, we have the opportunity to modernise how we produce and preserve this essential crop.”

But, describing herself as “highly upset”, Mrs Davis told this newspaper it appeared based on the reports that the couple and their proposal, which aimed to help establish a homegrown, Bahamian-led coconut sector was being pushed aside in favour of Chinese investment and mass production that would leave little space for local entrepreneurs such as the couple. 

Tribune Business attempted to contact Neil Campbell, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources’ permanent secretary, by phone and e-mail for the past two days seeking comment but ultimately learned he was out of office.

Other officials copied on Emporium de Coconut’s e-mails, including Montez Williams, the ministry’s under-secretary, and Senator Tyrel Young, the former Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) chairman, also did not respond to this newspaper’s e-mails seeking comment before press time last night.

While the Government’s plans and intentions towards Emporium de Coconut’s proposal, and a possible tie-up with China, could not be confirmed, Mrs Davis made her feelings known in a June 4, 2025, e-mail sent to Ministry of Agriculture and Resources officials who had met with the couple in February to discuss their proposal as well as those copied in on the e-mail exchanges.

Noting that the duo have produced more than 50 coconut-based spin-offs, ranging from foods to body care products, for both Bahamian and international markets since founding their firm in 2011, Mrs Davis wrote: “While we do not produce on the scale as that of China, we know the manufacturing process and have brought quality food, body care and farming products to the local and international market.

“Not producing on the mass as China should not be a reason to dismiss us as not being knowledgeable in the coconut manufacturing process. In fact, being a Bahamian and a woman in this industry should have been more of a reason to engage us in this project.

“But, after my experience with the Government since 2011, as a Bahamian and a woman, being overlooked, excluded and ignored in favour of anyone and all things foreign comes as no surprise. We presented a proposal that would have a government-sponsored operation up and running within two weeks.

“We presented a proposal that would be of benefit to the Department of Labour and their National Training Agency. Yet we received no response from the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources. Now we know why. Let me guess; suddenly the Chinese will have the ‘same’ collaboration idea as our business proposal submitted to you, correct?”

Mrs Davis told Tribune Business that she and her husband were inspired to reach out to the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources in late 2024 after viewing the ‘Coconut 360’ video on Facebook.

“They had called for coconut vendors to come out and meet with them,” she recalled. “The majority of the people who attended were young Bahamian men. If they see that young men and women, they see a Bahamian women do this, they are more likely to be impacted.”

Mrs Davis said that, based on their experience, they believed that an indigenous Bahamian coconut industry could be so much more than just selling water and milk. Revealing that they possess five coconut processing machines, three of which they use, she added that every part of the coconut is used including the outer shell to make charcoal while the husk produces coir soil.

As a result, Mr Davis wrote to Mr Campbell, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources’ most senior official on November 24, 2024, to propose a joint venture or public-private partnership (PPP) type “collaboration” drawing on Emporium de Coconut’s experience gained from operating its own Bay Street processing facility and a retail outlet at the Nassau Cruise Port.

“We saw the ministry’s recent ‘Coconut 360’ video and your insightful discussion with coconut water vendors regarding the potential of the coconut industry in The Bahamas,” Mr Davis wrote. “As the first company to process the entire mature coconut locally, we are uniquely positioned to contribute to the ministry’s vision of a thriving coconut sector.

“Over the years, we have developed extensive expertise and invested in advanced equipment to produce a wide variety of coconut-based products for both local and international markets. Our offerings range from food products such as coconut oil, flour, butter and canned coconut water and milk, to by-products like activated charcoal, coconut coir soil, and fibre for agricultural applications.”

Emporium De Coconut offered to host workshops and training sessions to educate Bahamian coconut vendors and entrepreneurs on the necessary processing techniques to manufacture other products in a sector which Mrs Davis told Tribune Business has grown from a $1.6bn global industry, when she first started in 2011, to $17bn now.

Mr Davis, in his letter, added that the couple wished to partner with the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources “to establish a reliable supply chain that connects [Bahamian] coconut farmers and vendors to processing facilities” so as to maximise profits and cut waste, while also engaging in research and development on “eco-friendly solutions” such as biodegradeable packaging.

“By fostering a partnership between Emporium de Coconut, the ministry and coconut vendors, we can collectively unlock the vast potential of The Bahamas’ coconut industry. This collaboration not only aligns with the Government’s goal of economic diversification but also promotes sustainable practices and entrepreneurship in our communities,” Mr Davis wrote.

His e-mailed letter eventually provoked a February 3, 2025, reply from Delreese Grant, a project officer with the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, requesting the couple’s “availability” to meet with relevant government officials. A meeting was scheduled for ten days later, on February 13, 2025, and Emporium De Coconut subsequently drafted a proposal dated February 19, 2025.

Mrs Davis, though, told this newspaper that there was no response to the submission or a follow-up e-mail sent one month later. Then, amid the silence, came the reports on Mr Sears’ China visit, which apart from the Coconut Research Institute also included a tour of the Wenchang Chunguang Coconut Kingdom and its “many coconut products and crafts”.

Confirming that “all the people copied on the e-mail”, including Mr Young and Mr Williams, were present at the meeting with Emporium De Coconut, Mrs Davis told Tribune Business: “They were very interested. They said: ‘Just send in the proposal’ and then they would get back to us. It’s now June, and we’ve not heard a word.

“A month later I sent them a follow-up e-mail saying ‘I think this would work better in Nassau’” rather than placing a coconut processing plant at BAMSI in Andros. She added: “With the last e-mail, nobody opened it up. From March, April, May, nobody responded. After the meeting they all knew what they were going to do.

“It’s just unfortunate. They had an opportunity for everybody, if they were interested in coconut processing or the backyard coconut business if they didn’t want to do processing. We were going to do support classes as well. I know a lot of the young guys would be interested in using their hands and working with the machines.

“Then, just weeks ago, Alfred Sears was in China. I was highly upset because I know the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources has to be involved with him taking that trip. It was quite insulting. It’s impossible for the Government not to know we exist.”

Asked about the message this sent to the couple, Mrs Davies replied: “It’s basically saying that we’re not good enough. Foreign is better. They don’t want us involved in it because they know the value of it. The Chinese know the value of it... They should not control the coconut industry. There are many Bahamians that can do it.

“The average person will be shut out. It’s another strike to make us Bahamians feel we’re not good enough; that we cannot do it. There’s a lot of youth that don’t have these opportunities or skills, but this is something they can do every day.”

Mrs Davis said that, while previously supplying the likes of Super Value and Centreville Food Market, her business has temporarily suspended processing food products to focus all its efforts on the Nassau Cruise Port outlet. It is producing body care products, such as coconut oil, for which it has regulatory permission to export to the US, plus a line of rums and bottled liquor using coconut cream.

Having graduated from a home-based business to its first processing facility at Bay and Victoria Streets, where it was located between February 2018 and March 2022, the company now operates from the Kelly building on Bay Street.

“There’s no rhyme or reason to say we are not qualified,” Mrs Davis said. “Any question anybody has on the coconut industry we can answer. We count everything. All of our products, we count. We measure measure how many coconuts it takes to make these products.”

Emporium De Coconut, in the proposal for “coconut processing equipment consultation services” submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources on February 19, 2025, said: “The country is rich in coconuts, offering a unique opportunity to develop a self-sustaining local food production and agricultural industry.

“By tapping into the vast coconut resources available, there is a potential to reduce dependency on imports while boosting food sustainability and local economic development.... Emporium de Coconut offers a comprehensive solution that involves setting up a coconut processing operation in The Bahamas, aimed at maximising local coconut production and creating new avenues for economic growth.”

Mr and Mrs Davis said their proposal involved setting up a coconut processing facility to take care of every production stage, with training provided for ministry staff and other Bahamian entrepreneurs along with knowledge transfer of the required processes and procedures. 

This, in turn, would assist with the creation of “meaningful employment opportunities for Bahamians” in manufacturing plus the opportunity to sell coconut-based products into the local and tourism markets at both the retail and wholesale level.

The couple added that, once all equipment, electrical and plumbing systems were in place, the processing plant could be set-up in 24 hours spread across four days. The proposed coconut de-husking machine would be capable of processing 160 coconuts per hour, or 1,200 in an eight hour day, with grating and milk extraction rates projected at 4,000 and 2,800 coconuts per day, respectively.

“This proposal offers a strategic opportunity for the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources to harness the potential of The Bahamas’ abundant coconut resources, fostering local economic growth and enhancing food sustainability,” the Emporium De Coconut duo wrote. 

“By partnering with Emporium de Coconut, [the ministry] will gain the knowledge, infrastructure and training necessary to establish a thriving coconut processing industry. This initiative not only supports job creation and entrepreneurial ventures but also opens new revenue streams through local and tourism markets. Together, we can build a more self-sufficient and prosperous future for The Bahamas.”