Copra is a result of the process of smoking and drying the meat of the coconut as a means of natural preservative. Without this smoking and drying the coconut would soon turn rancid and be worthless for any further use. Cold pressed virgin coconut oil in tropical countries can only be stored for a few weeks maximum before turning rancid. Cooking coconut oil however is refined / heat processed.
In many very remote villages copra is one of the few products ready for trade exchange. The smoking/drying process allows villagers to accumulate copra over weeks or months until sufficient quantity is available worth to be transported. 1 kg copra costs about 30 US cents to the farmer - a tiny share compared to the price of one liter virgin coconut oil on the international market.
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