Jakarta, July 12 -- It would not be an exaggeration to call Indonesia a paradise for coconuts. Straddling the Equator, the archipelago offers the ideal growing environment for the tropical fruit.

No wonder then that its islands, which number in the thousands, are home to vast coconut plantations.

Renowned globally as a symbol of the tropics, the coconut tree is often called the tree of life since nearly every part of the tree is useful.

Coconut tree trunks, for example, can be used for simple home construction, while coconut leaf stalks can be turned into sturdy brooms. In addition, the sap of coconut flowers can be used to make sugar.

Most people would agree that the fruits themselves are the most valuable part of the plant.

Besides...