Spinning sustainable fibre out of unwanted pineapple leaves

AFTER serving 9 years as president and chief executive officer of Indonesian fruit supplier Great Giant Pineapple (GGP), Harold Koh was familiar with agricultural waste - but initially unconvinced when he was told it would be the next big thing.

"I told my friend, 'you're asking me to become a karang guni (scrap dealer)!'" said Koh, whose previous experience included more than 10 years in executive roles at General Motors and machinery firm Hiab.

However, the conversations with that friend - who is one of the owners of Indonesia coconut specialist Sambu Group - that began in March 2019 subsequently sparked an idea in Koh.