Business

Food Security in the BIMSTEC Region: Lessons from Sri Lanka’s Smart Farmingax

Published

4 years ago

2022/04/9

By Dr Manoj Thibbotuwawa

Sri Lanka is hosted the fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit on 30 March 2022. Established in 1997, BIMSTEC is a seven-member regional organisation comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. BIMSTEC pays significant attention to agriculture and food security, with agriculture included as a stand-alone sector in 2005 in recognition of its importance. Sri Lanka, the lead country for the coordination of activities in the Science, Technology and Innovation Sector, is in the midst of a food crisis even as it plays host. Against this backdrop, this blog discusses food security challenges in the BIMSTEC region, Sri Lanka’s experiences in smart farming, and its expectations from the summit.

Food Security Challenges in

the BIMSTEC Region

BIMSTEC’s growing population is exerting tremendous pressure on the agriculture sector and food security. The need is to find ways to enhance agricultural growth to meet the present and future demand for food, but achieving this goal is complicated due to the region’s numerous inherited challenges. These include the inefficient use of inputs such as water and fertiliser, poor technologies, lack of market integration leading to stagnating crop yields, declining profitability, and the deteriorating value of food production in these countries.

The BIMSTEC region remains among the poorest in the world, with lower per capita GDPs and higher Poverty Headcount Ratios. Nepal, Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh have a per capita GDP of less than USD 2,000 and a poverty headcount ratio of over 21%. Climate change, inconsistent domestic and trade policies, and weakened agricultural institutions are further aggravating the aforesaid challenges on food availability and access to food mainly for vulnerable populations including smallholder farmers and poor households.

Food utilisation is also not optimal, as shown in the FAO nutrition indicators for the region. For example, the stunting rate is the highest in India (30.9%), followed by Bangladesh (30.4%) and Nepal (30.2%). Even Myanmar (25.2%) and Bhutan (22.4%) have higher stunting rates than the world average of 22%. Another indicator of malnutrition, wasting, is highest in India (17.3%), followed by Sri Lanka (15%) and Bangladesh (10%), and these figures have not improved much over the years.

Moreover, a significant share of the population suffers from other malnutrition indicators like low birth weight and undernourishment. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to cause a reversal of whatever achievements have been made so far by BIMSTEC countries in terms of food security. Crucially though, the continued implementation of smart farming in agriculture can help mitigate some of these food security problems experienced in the region.

Sri Lanka began its gradual push towards smart farming with its E-agriculture Strategy in 2016 which was the first in the Asia Pacific. This was motivated primarily by the belief that several opportunities exist through innovative Information Communication Technology (ICT) solutions to address numerous challenges to food security. In particular, access to the right information at the right time enables farmers to make informed decisions and improve their livelihoods, thereby playing a major role in ensuring food security. The country also has a vibrant ICT sector with wide adoption and awareness of ICTs in other critical areas such as telecom and banking which provided the transformative potential for agriculture stakeholders. The rapid growth of mobile voice and the internet in Sri Lanka also provided new avenues to share and access information.

A Public-Private-Producer partnership has been identified as one of the key strategic development areas to achieve the E-agriculture Strategy in Sri Lanka. With the content support from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health, private telecommunications service provider Dialog’s Govi Mithuru offers customised and timely advice to farmers on land preparation, cultivation, crop protection, harvest and improved family nutrition. Dialog is now looking at digitising the leaf colour index, helping farmers check the nutrition status and deficiencies of plants and developing Internet of Things (IoT) enabled automation tools for the agricultural sector.

Govipola is a trilingual mobile phone app and web-based programme which allows farmers, buyers and sellers to access prices. The European Union’s Technical Assistance to the Modernization of Agriculture Programme (TAMAP) assisted the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL) to launch a pilot ‘Smart Farming Village’ programme while training MASL staff, vendors and farmers in the use of digital apps with an extensive outreach and communication plan by partnering private sector Digital Service Providers and transport services such as PickMe.

Sri Lanka’s large agribusiness companies such as Chemical Industries Colombo (CIC) and Hayleys are increasingly using the latest innovation to provide crop application requirements to suit the local conditions from the Department of Agriculture and relevant research institutions. These include drones for scanning fields and distributing agrochemicals and fertiliser with minimum human involvement and wastage and cutting-edge greenhouse technology, such as automated climate control and fertigation as well as hydroponics to enable “climate smart,” year-round production. Building upon Sri Lanka’s unique experience, the BIMSTEC region can strengthen science, innovation, and technological cooperation in agriculture to mitigate food security challenges.

Way Forward

Given that the agricultural sector research and development (R&D) is very low, and the agriculture and food processing sectors continue to use outdated technologies and inefficient manufacturing techniques, the region needs more innovation to boost its global competitiveness, harness its knowledge base, enhance its economic position, and tackle the food security challenges. However, rising protectionism in technology and intellectual property rights (IPR) markets has made the acquisition of advanced technologies a severe challenge to developing countries in the region.

Therefore, South-South Cooperation (SSC), like BIMSTEC, provides a good platform to govern technology transfer among BIMSTEC economies. Similar factor endowments such as land, labour, capital, entrepreneurship in the region can mutually contribute to addressing regional developmental needs, including rural income generation, poverty alleviation and food security. Moreover, technologies and knowledge pools available in these countries are more cost-effective and easily and swiftly adaptable to the prevailing conditions in these countries.

As decided during the 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in 2021, Sri Lanka must take the necessary steps to establish an Expert Group on Technology to coordinate cooperation in the technology sub-sector and to develop a Plan of Action to strengthen cooperation in technology, including in agriculture and food processing sectors. Further, establishing a regional network of Technology Transfer Offices of major research organisations like the European Technology Transfer Offices Circle will ensure efficient and effective scientific and technological exchanges, sharing technological know-how, joint R&D, and industrial application of higher technology. Finally, local industries could increasingly harness more benefits through participation in regional value chains (RVCs) and global value chains (GVCs).

Link to the full Talking Economics blog: https://www.ips.lk/talkingeconomics/2022/03/29/food-security-in-the-bimstec-region-lessons-from-sri-lankas-smart-farming/

Manoj Thibbotuwawa is a Research Fellow at IPS with research interests in agriculture, agribusiness value chains, food security, and environmental and natural resource economics. He holds a BSc (Agriculture) with Honours from the University of Peradeniya, an MSc (Agricultural Economics) from the Post-Graduate Institute of Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya, and a PhD from the University of Western Australia. (Talk with Manoj – manoj@ips.lk)

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Business

Priority areas for deepening Japan-SL economic ties

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/9

Sahan Weerasooriya

Executive Committee for the Year 2026/2027

Japan Business Council (SLJBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently held its 47th AGM, with the Ambassador of Japan and the Patron of the Council, Akio ISOMATA, attending as the Chief Guest.

Addressing the gathering, Ambassador ISOMATA outlined three priorities for deepening bilateral economic relations: an effective and forward-looking trade and investment policy, the promotion of domestic industrial policy, and expanded investment in renewable energy. He noted that Sri Lanka’s ongoing review of its Free Trade Agreement policy would be important in shaping the country’s future negotiating landscape. He encouraged Sri Lanka to look Eastward toward Southeast Asia and Japan, proposing that the country adopt an export-oriented industrial model. The Ambassador welcomed the Government’s National Export Development Plan 2026 and National Mineral Policy 2026 as consistent with Japan’s vision of connecting Sri Lanka’s export-related manufacturing sectors with India’s high-growth manufacturing base.

In his address, President Athulla R F Edirisinghe reflected on nearly seven decades of humanitarian and development support extended by Japan to Sri Lanka, and paid tribute to the Chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation Yohei Sasakawa, for his magnanimity in establishing the Foundation. Reflecting on the history of Japanese investment in the region from the 1970s onward, he observed that Sri Lanka had missed many opportunities to attract Japanese foreign direct investment. Highlighting the 2025 proposal for a Sri Lanka – Japan Economic Corridor by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry Japan, he called on Sri Lankan businesses, industry associations, and the wider community to come together in dialogue with the Government to ensure the country does not miss this opportunity as well.

2026/27 Committee: President: Athulla R F Edirisinghe – Director, Hirohama Ceylon (Pvt) Ltd, Senior Vice President – Ruwan Waidyaratne – Managing Director, Hayleys Advantis Ltd, Vice – President – Shamil Mendis – Managing Director, Spear International (Pvt) Ltd, Treasurer – Rohitha Mendis – Managing Director of Prudential Shipping Lines (Pte) Ltd, Immediate Past President – Mahen Kariyawasan – Managing Director, Andrew The Travel Company (Pvt) Ltd, representatives from Amano Lanka Engineering (Pvt) Ltd, BOV Capital (Pvt) Ltd, Brandix Apparel (Pvt) Ltd, Heritage Teas (Pvt) Ltd, Kalhari Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, Lanka Harness (Pvt) Ltd, Dentsu Grant (Pvt) Ltd, MAC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, and Vidullanka PLC. By invitation: HVA Foods PLC (subsidiary of George Steuart & Co), Spillburg Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, and Vaughan Chemicals (Pvt) Ltd.

The Sri Lanka – Japan Business Council plays an important role in promoting trade, tourism, and investments between Japan and Sri Lanka. For membership inquiries contact Kiyara at The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce via E-mail: businesscouncils1@chamber.lk or Tel.: 011 5588875/ 5588800.

Business

Rekawa turns turtle conservation into a 30-year community business model

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/9

Sahan Weerasooriya

Stakeholders at 30th anniversary celebrations of the turtle conservation project.

By Ifham Nizam

What started 30 years ago as an effort to protect sea turtles has evolved into a community-based economic model that has generated livelihoods, attracted tourists and transformed Rekawa into one of Sri Lanka’s best-known nature tourism destinations.

The Rekawa Turtle Conservation Project, launched on September 2, 1996, by the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP) in partnership with the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Rekawa community, marked its 30th anniversary last week, demonstrating how biodiversity protection can become an economic opportunity for communities living alongside sensitive natural resources.

Speaking at the anniversary celebrations, TCP chairman Thushan Kapurusinghe said the project currently provides direct livelihoods for 28 people, but its economic impact extends considerably beyond those directly employed by the programme.

‘Today, 28 people directly earn their livelihood through this project. But its impact goes far beyond those 28 individuals, Kapurusinghe said.

He pointed to the transformation of the area over the past three decades, arguing that the growth of tourism in the community has been closely linked to the turtle conservation programme.

‘If you travel from Netolpitiya to this area, you can clearly see how much the village has transformed over the years. There is no doubt that the growth of tourism in this community has been driven by the Turtle Conservation Project, he said.

The economic significance of Rekawa lies in its ability to convert the protection of a natural asset into a source of recurring community income.

Tourists do not come to Rekawa merely to see a beach. They come to witness sea turtles emerging from the ocean and nesting in their natural habitat—a tourism experience that depends directly on the continued protection of the nesting beach.

Kapurusinghe said tour operators regularly bring visitors to Rekawa, with some tourists traveling there after visiting major attractions such as the Kandy Esala Perahera.

The model represents a fundamental shift from viewing conservation as an expense to recognising biodiversity as an economic asset that can generate sustainable livelihoods when properly managed.

The 30th anniversary celebration at the Rekawa Turtle Conservation Project Information Centre brought together Southern Wildlife Region Director of the Department of Wildlife Conservation Channa Suraweera, government officials, conservation organisations, community representatives and long-standing supporters of the initiative.

Individuals who had contributed to the project over the past three decades were also recognised with awards for their service to sea turtle and environmental conservation.

Rekawa’s experience has attracted international attention because of precisely this combination of conservation and community development. The project has received international recognition as well as the Green Employment Award from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. Earlier international recognition included a highly commended ‘Tourism for Tomorrow’ award, while the project’s turtle-watch programme subsequently received further recognition in responsible tourism and conservation.

Business

Ceylinco Life brings premium policyholders closer to the magic of the Kandy Perahera

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/9

Sahan Weerasooriya

For an evening, the timeless spectacle of the Kandy Esala Perahera unfolded at especially close quarters for a select group of Ceylinco Life’s most valued policyholders and their families, who were hosted to an exclusive viewing experience by the Company’s Customer Relations Division.

Held at the Ceylinco Life Kandy Branch on Kings Street, the annual event coincided with the second Randoli Perahera, bringing guests into the heart of one of Sri Lanka’s most spectacular expressions of culture, tradition and pageantry.

As the procession made its majestic passage through the streets of Kandy, guests enjoyed VIP seating at a prime vantage point, allowing them to experience the colour, movement and grandeur of the Perahera up close. The evening offered a fitting setting for Ceylinco Life to celebrate its enduring relationships with its premium clientele.

The experience extended well beyond the spectacle outside. Guests were welcomed with evening refreshments and an exclusive dinner buffet presented by the prestigious Amaya Hills Resort, adding a fine-dining dimension to an already memorable evening.

Families, too, were at the centre of the occasion. A private movie theatre experience provided entertainment for children and adults alike, while each attending family received a beautifully framed family photograph as a personalised souvenir, a tangible reminder of an evening shared together against the backdrop of one of Sri Lanka’s most treasured cultural traditions.

Besides being a much sought-after opportunity to watch the Perahera, the occasion was an expression of appreciation. Through its continuing Customer Relationship Management activities, Ceylinco Life seeks to create experiences that recognise its most valued policyholders not simply as customers, but as relationships to be celebrated and nurtured. And on this particular August evening, the enduring splendour of the Kandy Perahera provided the perfect setting for doing just that.