Bio Foods launches range of products to celebrate 25th anniversary

By Divya Thotawatte

Bio Foods celebrated its 25th anniversary last week with the launch of a range of products marketed under its own brand.

The launch is a part of the company’s initiative to give back to the people of the land from which it harvested its wonderful produce. The products launched range from teas, spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables to coconut products and whole grains, and will be accessible to health conscious consumers in Sri Lanka. Bio Foods also plans to introduce the same products to the international audience as well.

Bio Foods Chief Marketing Officer Madusha Ranaweera said: “Our main objective is to give back to the country that produces everything that we export. We export the best produce while the foodstuffs of less quality are sold here. The idea is to make our organic products accessible to Sri Lanka as well since we believe that all people should have access to food of the same quality.”

“Part of our plan is to spread awareness, educate the public on exactly what is certified organic and what is not. Our products are entirely organic, fair trade and biodynamic. What we do doesn’t hurt animals, what we do doesn’t hurt people, and ultimately what we produce doesn’t hurt our bodies,” she added.

Bio Foods Chairman and Founder Sarath Ranaweera stated that from its very inception, Bio Foods implemented fair trade standards to protect its farmers from market prices fluctuations and middle-man exploitation. 

“For the assurance of farmers, we calculate the cost of production and add 10% to it. We then call it a minimum farming price and therefore whatever happens we never buy products below that price. So even in the worst cases in the market situations the farmers will have a 10% profit. But if the price moves up they get the conventional price and the premium on top,” he explained, stating that due to this assurance the farmers never leave the project which has led to Bio Foods’ success as well. 

As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, Bio Foods has grown to be a leading exporters of tea, spices, and coconut products. With its goal of leaving behind clean air, water and soil for all living things, Bio Foods believes in clean and agro-chemically uncontaminated produce. 

Bio Foods Brand Ambassador Otara Gunewardene also speaking at the event stated: “It is important to pay attention to the food that we are consuming and how they are grown, because we’re what we eat. There is a reason as to why hospitals are booming and that is the effect of the change in our lifestyle. We need to create awareness to take the right path in the food that we’re eating.”

Bio Foods, which has been an exporter for the last 25 years, was the first company in the world to export certified organic, bio dynamic and fair trade spices. It continues to supply for several large organic brands in Europe and North America, with an expanding market as the world population gets increasingly more educated and conscious about health and wellbeing. 

Pix by Indraratne Balasuriya