Biodiversity Sri Lanka to mark Intl. Day for Biological Diversity with agribusiness sector today

The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) is celebrated annually the world over, on 22 May, commemorating the adoption of the text of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The UN declared theme for IDB 2019, is ‘Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health’, and aims to focus on biodiversity as the foundation for our food and health and a key catalyst to transforming food systems and improving human health. 

It aims to leverage knowledge and spread awareness of the dependency of our food systems, nutrition, and health on biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, and celebrates the diversity provided by our natural systems for human existence and well-being while contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including climate change mitigation and adaptation, ecosystems restoration, clean water and zero hunger.

In order to mark this year’s commemoration, Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL), in association with its members from the agribusiness sector – Ceylon Biscuits Ltd., Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC, Dole Lanka Ltd. and Jinasena Ltd., and with the support of its Associate Member – the United Nations Development Program, will organise a technical learning event titled ‘Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health’. 

The event will be held from 9.00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, 24 May at the ‘Sankathani’ Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration, 28/10, Malalasekara Mawatha, Colombo 07.  The keynote address will be delivered by Manju Gunawardana– Group Chief Executive Officer – Research and Innovation, LOLC and Senior Research Scientist of the Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology, on the topic ‘New Innovations in Agriculture that Support Healthy Ecosystems with Thriving Biodiversity’. 

This will be followed by a number of presentations by BSL Members, showcasing best practices and replicable models of sustainable agribusiness practices that work to conserve our biodiversity and environment.

Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL) is a national platform entirely owned and driven by the private sector, established to promote strong engagement of the corporate sector in biodiversity and environmental conservation in Sri Lanka. BSL actively promotes strong leadership of the private sector in the areas of biodiversity and environmental conservation, through the provision of technical support, sharing of information, knowledge and experience, the promotion of best practices through active learning and understanding mechanisms and by initiating and facilitating dialogue between State and civil society partners and the private sector, advocating biodiversity-friendly policies and positive instruments that campaign for the conservation of Sri Lanka’s fragile environment. BSL’s overall mandate is to help raise awareness on biodiversity and sustainability issues amongst the Sri Lankan business community.