Value Chain
I. Sourcing
Stakeholders: Local coconut farmers, farmer associations and coconut traders.
Axelum sources its primary raw material, the coconut, from reliable partners within a 200-kilometer radius from the Medina Plant.
Farming
■ Local coconut farmers are clustered into groups and trained on natural farming methods.
■ Axelum deploys a monitoring team to ensure adherence to the highest standards of coconut farming.
■ Coconut farmers enrolled in the Fair Trade Program are entitled to additional incentives.
Nut Buying
■ Axelum offers above market pricing to guarantee allocation of high-quality fresh whole nuts.
■ Axelum patronizes local suppliers and makes certain that raw coconut inputs are not genetically-engineered or modified.
■ Coconut purchases are based on the following criteria: quality, freshness, size, diameter, weight, lack of contaminants, reliability, traceability and food safety.
Transport
■ Raw whole coconuts are carefully handled and transported via trucking modes to the Medina Plant or strategically located nut-buying stations.
II. Manufacturing
Stakeholders: Plant personnel and labor cooperatives.
Axelum uses the entire coconut in its manufacturing processes translating to nearly zero-waste discharge from operations.
Storage
■ Coconuts are diligently sorted based on age and quality.
Nut Opening
■ Coconuts are drilled, shelled, pared and grated at the nut opening plant.
Processing
■ Coconuts shells are used as feedstock for boilers that produces food-grade culinary steam.
■ Coconut kernels or white meat are processed into desiccated coconut, coconut milk powder and coconut milk/cream.
■ The brown covering of the white meat is pared and mixed with broken white meat to be converted into coconut crude oil, cooking oil and copra cake.
■ The liquid component of the coconut is extracted and processed into coconut water.
■ End-to-end processes are strictly monitored on technical, microbiological, anti-allergen and safety considerations.
Packaging
■ All finished products are subjected to metal detector screening prior to filling ang packaging; x-ray imaging is mandatory before loading.
Shipment
■ Finished goods are transported to the Mindanao International Container Port and Cagayan de Oro Port for overseas and domestic shipping.
III. Sales and Distribution
Stakeholders: Customers and end-users.
Anchored on a global distribution network, finished goods are distributed to a diverse base of clientele including food manufacturers, food service, private label and retailers.