With a growing demand for toxin-free foods in the world, Sri Lanka is also working towards a new agrarian economy to capitalize on the growing demand. Fortunately with the leadership provided by Government, farmers can move away from the inorganic fertilizer to more environmental-friendly agricultural practices. The national policy for a toxin-free country was launched during an event organized by the Presidential Secretariat, held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), under the auspices of the President of Sri Lanka on Monday, March 7, 2016.

With today’s urgent need for increased food security, environmental protection, secure livelihoods and for better nutrition, the ‘school Garden’ is a promising seed ground for the nation’s good health and protection. Under the joint project implemented by Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme and funded by the Government of Spain ‘Scaling up Nutrition through a multi-Sector Approach’, a series of training workshops were organized by FAO with school Nutrition & Health Services Branch, Ministry of Education. The comprehensive two day residential training programme covered all related topics as well supported with the manual “Setting up and running a school garden – a FAO publication that will prove helpful and effective in achieving the set goals at this training. The project effort not only focuses on child nutrition but on the bigger picture on how it affects a child’s health and education.

Learning new and useful skills with the right conditions and support, can educate the children how to grow a variety of foods – vegetables, fruits, medicinal plants, foster entrepreneurial skills in the area of market gardening, and even motivate children to consume more vegetables and fruits.

Demonstrations were carried out to children and their families on how to extend and improve a diet with home-grown foods and enhance school meals with micronutrient-rich vegetables and fruits.