Nothing fills one’s heart with joy more than seeing the increasing patronage of fresh coconut all around us.
Each morning during my mid-morning walks in my neighbourhood, I come across not less than three fresh coconut spots under trees.
Because of the well-packaged marketing strategy in the past, fresh coconuts have been everywhere for some time now.
The sellers are providing consumers with “pay, drink and move on” services.
On my walks, one sees a number of people lined up to be served, some in waiting vehicles with their bottles or flasks ready to fill.
Other times, the number of packed coconut shells beside the seller tells how many people have already stopped by to drink on the move.
The story is not different, driving in town with some sellers selling under the cover of large parasols while many more move around selling from wheelbarrows.
Benefits
The benefit of this refreshing, lightly sweet water is apparently packed with potassium, an important healthy nutrient.
Health experts have done excellent work by touting the health benefits of coconut water to the extent that for anyone who has ears to hear, coconut has become a daily sought-after nourishing drink.
The media have done well taking it further with the much-needed education for the people.
Said to be ideal for overall health and some specific ailments, the education on this natural fruit drink has gone down well to the extent that doctors are recommending it during one-on-one consultations.
I was pleasantly surprised when my doctor singled it out and recommended it during my last visit, even without asking.
While the health benefits of this fruit are influencing the popularity of coconut, particularly the drink, it has made and continues to make hits with almost everyone: the young and old, male and female, the fit and the sick.
Today, many are making conscious efforts to include coconut water consumption in their water intake for the day.
Job opportunities
Even more encouraging is how coconut has created ready jobs for our young men all over.
Just this week, I made a conscious effort to speak to two roadside coconut sellers who seem to have found lucrative jobs and are making decent income.
In a conversation, one of them informed me he sells up to GH¢400 a day, while the other seller said he makes an average of GH¢300 to GH¢350.
They both admitted that though sometimes the market is slow, in hot weather, they make more money than normal.
A coconut today in most areas in Accra sells between GH¢8 and GH¢10, depending on the area they are being sold in.
Compared to a bottle of water or soft drink, someone who regularly patronises fresh coconut water told me he would rather spend more on coconut water than on a fizzy drink because he knew he was investing in his health.
With the impressive work health experts have done in educating Ghanaians concerning the health benefits of coconut water, and the obvious employment opportunities down the value chain, from cultivation to consumption, how can the same level of awareness and education be applied to elevate the value of other natural food products abundant in our environment and providing jobs for the youth?
Seeds, nuts
There is definitely another sheriff in town though.
There is some talk about the health benefits of seeds and nuts for example.
However, and regrettably too, not much education is out there in the public space to point consumers to the kind of nutritional benefits of these beneficial seeds and nuts, some of which are already in great use.
There is talk about healthy seeds such as sesame, chia, melon and many others, which are quite nutritious and beneficial in one’s daily menus.
Shops have displayed them and are promoting them. Restaurants are using them, emphasising them in their menus.
One sees them in the market and some homes have them in their kitchen cupboards.
But what their specific benefits really are is not common knowledge to many.
Media education
It is time for the media to start engaging the relevant health providers and food experts so they can get the education going for the benefit of consumers.
There are currently very few health education and wellness contributions in the media.
Creating headlines on the benefits of seeds and nuts in our diets and arranging expert discussions on them would be things that would attract followers.
After all, who does not want to read, listen or watch educational discussions on health matters?
An unhealthy population definitely is a drain on family budgets, employers and a nation, especially where there is a National Health Insurance system in place.
May the beneficial education received in the past on the benefits of coconut water for example, be extended to many other foods, including seeds and nuts, which we have in abundance in our midst.
Let our media lead the charge.
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