Sri Lanka's farmers find a new path to sustainability
Deforestation, soil degradation and the loss of natural wetlands have put the productivity of more than a third of Sri Lanka's land area either in decline or under stress, threatening livelihoods and leading to rising poverty and falling food security. However, by adopting modern production techniques which promote sustainable land use, farmers in the country have found a way not only to increase their profitability and productivity, but also to preserve the country's cherished ecosystem.
Sri Lanka's Department of Agriculture (DoA) and Cargills Ceylon LLC worked together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to successfully implement sustainable production practices using Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) principles for smallholder farmers in the country's central highlands. Although GAP practices and certifications had previously been introduced in the country, there had been minimal uptake among smallholder farmers due to a lack of market access, limited access to finance for modernization and a knowledge gap in terms of modern technologies. A complete modernization package that included drip irrigation, mulching and insect-proof nets would provide farmers with the needed tools to successfully adopt GAP principles.
The FAO-DoA-Cargills engagement addressed these constraints by introducing a complete sustainable modernization package, which included innovative extension tools and market access for GAP-certified farms. Cargills Microfinance Bank also offered loans to farmers who did not have the cash needed to finance the remaining costs to modernize their farms. In all, 80 farmers across 20 acres of land each received a total package of USD 960 towards this much-needed modernization. In addition to providing concrete support to the farmers, the engagement focused on testing and demonstrating sustainable vegetable production using farm modernization and innovative production techniques.
Through this engagement, Cargills Ceylon LLC was able to source and develop a sustainable supply of GAP-certified vegetables while ensuring relatively higher prices for the farmers through increased preferential market access. The project also proved to be profitable for the farmers in many ways: they were able to increase their yields by 10-20 percent, reduce production costs by 20 percent and improve crop quality. The water-efficient production method they now use also enabled them to continue cultivation during the dry season, allowing them to fetch much higher prices for their produce than during the regular growing season.
As farmers began to reap the benefits, their acceptance of sustainable farm modernization increased, leading to a greater demand for modernization inputs and GAP certification. The DoA used new extension methodologies such as Farmer Field School (FFS) and ICT tools (WhatsApp and a number of agricultural apps) to support farmers in developing their skills. As farmers saw the efficiency and effectiveness of the technology, they were more willing to adopt it.
The technology package offered a range of environmental benefits in addition to economic ones: by reducing the need for fertilizers and agro-chemicals, it helped farmers to conserve water, decrease soil erosion and lower levels of pollution. As farmers’ acceptance of GAP principles improved, Cargills continued to scale up their support beyond their initial contributions. Thus far, more than 256 farmers have adopted these techniques and 89 farmers have acquired GAP certification from the DoA.
This project's success also attracted interest from other stakeholders interested in replicating the techniques used, creating a ripple effect of investments in the country's farmers and ultimately, in preserving its ecosystem for future generations.
