India looks to repurpose cyclone-hit coconut trees

In India, the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology has proposed converting the coconut trees that fell during cyclone Gaja into biodegradable plates.

The move would allow farmers to gain profit from the fallen trees and sustain their farms through the loss.

IIFPT already has technology to convert coconut wood powder into the plates. The institute is continuing the research to enable larger plates for use in different food distribution areas. “Each plate will cost Rs 3,” IIFPT director C Anandharamkrishnan tells Times of India. The technology will be distributed directly to farmers. Cyclone Gaja made landfall in Tamil Nadu on November 16, 2018.