India's coconut capital seeks solutions to climate crisis

Tamil Nadu’s coconut heartland, Pollachi, is facing a severe crisis as climate change, rising temperatures and new pests devastate its once‑abundant plantations. Farmers report massive yield drops due to whiteflies and Kerala root wilt disease, leaving many trees barren or dead in under a decade. As incomes collapse, some families shift to greenhouse farming just to survive, while others sell their land. With no clear scientific solution yet and coconut prices soaring, an entire local economy — from farmers to vendors to restaurants — is under threat, raising concerns about future food security.