NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vita Coco, the world’s leading coconut water brand, is celebrating World Coconut Day and all the good that coconuts do by announcing Somali-American supermodel, activist and UNICEF Ambassador Halima Aden as the company’s first-ever Chief Coconut Officer. In this role, Halima will serve as a global spokesperson and advocate for the Vita Coco Project, the brand’s social impact initiative that supports coconut farming communities in the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
The production of coconut water, which used to be a byproduct, creates thousands of jobs, supports local industry growth and advances economies in developing regions around the world. For the past six years, Vita Coco has carefully built a grassroots-led initiative to maximize their impact in local sourcing communities. Halima, a barrier-shattering role model who embodies the playful spirit of coconuts and the vibrancy of the communities they come from, will play an integral role in amplifying Vita Coco’s mission to positively impact one million people in coconut farming communities.
“Now more than ever, it’s really important to me to partner with brands that share my values. After I visited the coconut farms with Vita Coco last year, and saw the work that they do firsthand and the impact it has, I knew it was an organization that I wanted to be a part of,” said Halima Aden. “I personally understand what economic opportunity and education can do for a community, and I’m excited to help advance this important work.”
Since the Vita Coco Project was created in 2014, Vita Coco has invested in tools and training programs for more than 8,000 farmers to raise annual coconut yields through intercropping, fertilization, irrigation, and crop management, helping to double farmer incomes; built 30 safe classrooms for K-12 education; and granted more than 60 college scholarships to top-performing students in the Philippines and Sri Lanka. As Chief Coconut Officer, Halima will also curate special projects, including developing a fund to build and enhance spaces for children to improve access to fun and safe schooling environments.
“When we first started Vita Coco, we were really focused on producing coconut water to fill demand, not building a social impact program,” said Michael Kirban, CEO and Co-Founder of Vita Coco. “But as we became more embedded in the local communities and understood how strategic investments and learning new techniques could benefit the farmers and their families, we realized that it was our obligation to do more. I’m so excited to have Halima on board, as she not only embodies the brand but genuinely wants to help us scale our programs.”
To further celebrate all the good that coconuts do, Vita Coco will also be surprising and delighting friends with Coconotes, a custom coconut greeting delivered to your doorstep through the USPS. For every Coconote ordered, Vita Coco will provide a coconut seedling to a farmer in the Philippines. To send a Coconote to a friend or family member, go to shop.vitacoco.com and use the code COCONUT.
To learn more about Vita Coco, visit vitacoco.com. You can also connect with Vita Coco on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT VITA COCO
Vita Coco is the leading coconut water beverage brand, celebrated for bringing the benefits of coconuts to the world. Championed by informed consumers, health and wellness experts, pro-athletes and celebrities for its nutrient-rich hydration, Vita Coco’s portfolio now includes sparkling coconut water, coconut milk, coconut oil, and MCT oil. Vita Coco was co-founded in 2004 by CEO Mike Kirban and Ira Liran and is a part of All Market Inc., one of the world’s largest privately-owned better-for-you portfolio beverage companies. For more information, please visit vitacoco.com.
ABOUT ALL MARKET INC.
All Market Inc. (AMI) was co-founded in 2004 by CEO Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, its brands include the leading coconut water beverage Vita Coco and clean energy beverage, Runa and sustainable enhanced water Ever & Ever. With its ability to harness the power of people and plants, AMI is poised to become the leading global better-for-you-beverage portfolio. For more information, please visit vitacoco.com.
