A real success over the last year has been the expansion of Earthoil's virgin coconut oil project in Samoa, which is run by a not-for-profit women's foundation. This NGO (Non Government Organisation) has fostered the concept of village-based production of virgin coconut oil and is aimed at rebuilding the economic independence of individual villages.

By locating the production of virgin coconut oil within the villages, the returns to these communities are greatly increased - by comparison with the more highly industrialised process based on copra.

Whole families get involved in collecting the nuts which are then cracked and the white flesh is extracted by hand. This flaked flesh is then carefully dried before being passed through a hand operated hydraulic press to produce a virgin coconut oil. The production process is extremely rapid - especially when compared to the traditional copra process - in fact, virgin coconut oil is produced within one hour of cracking the coconut. This process locks in the aroma 'volatiles' thus giving the oil its unique coconut aroma and flavour.

The village-based production groups now enjoy an income based in their own enterprise, centralized and co-ordinated by Women in Business and supported technically and in the market by Earthoil. As such Earthoil hopes to have this project recognised under an independent ethical certification in 2009.