The European Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka (@ECCSL) & GIZ SCOPE hosted the 2nd Roundtable of the Inclusive & Sustainable Business (ISB) Industry Series, spotlighting the food & agriculture sector.

The European Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka (ECCSL) together with GIZ Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) Programme hosted the Second Roundtable under the Inclusive and Sustainable Business (ISB) Industry Series focused on the food and agriculture sector 

Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector faces significant risks due to the impacts of climate change such as droughts, ill-timed heavy rains, flooding and land degradation. Further, the sector employs approximately 2.2 million people (26% of the total force) of which approximately 1.65 million are small holder farmers who account for nearly half of the population living below the poverty line. In order to address agricultural risks, improve livelihoods, reduce poverty, and enhance sustainability, it is crucial to invest in climate adaptation, new technologies, and organic products. New business and supply chain models, such as smallholder farmer cooperatives, out-grower programs, tech-enabled supply chain transparency, and crop insurance for example, can help mitigate risks and reduce poverty in the agriculture sector.

The Sustainable Development Council (SDC) spearheaded the formulation of a Strategy to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Businesses to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Sri Lanka (the ISB Strategy). The Strategy aims to build a cohesive business eco-system in which innovative business models delivering high social and environmental impact while using market-based approaches are able to make a significant contribution to the country’s economic development process.

The Roundtable organized by ECCSL brought together businesses, policy makers and other stakeholders in the food and agriculture industry to share insights and experiences with regard to inclusive and sustainable business practices in the agri-food sector for practical implementation.

It featured a presentation of the key elements of the ISB Strategy by the Director General of SDC, Chamindry Saparamadu followed by a Business Knowledge Sharing Session moderated by Project Lead of Inclusive Business Practices of ECCSL, William Baxter. Real World Examples of Inclusive and Sustainable Business Practices were presented by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MA’s Kitchen Maliek De Alwis, CEO of Natural Foods Cluster of Ceylon Biscuits Limited, Randeewa Malalasooriya and the Communications Executive of English Tea Shop, Asna Nizam followed by an interactive discussion and a networking session for knowledge and experience sharing on opportunities and challenges for adopting inclusive and sustainable business practices in the agri-food sector.