10 Sri Lankan organic farming businesses showcase export potential in Berlin

Participants including Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Germany, GIZ Sri Lanka team, 10 SMEs and the policy study group 

Parliamentary Friendship Group for Relations with the States of South Asia of Deutsche Bundestag Chair and former Federal Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture of Germany Renate Künast, Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Germany Varuni Muthukumarana with GIZ Berlin Office Head Randa Kourieh 

A high profile event held at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Berlin on 8 September provided a unique platform for 10 Sri Lankan companies to showcase their organic agriculture products with export potential and connect them with potential buyers and investors in Europe. 

Implemented as part of the ‘Support to Small and Medium Enterprises in the Organic Agriculture Sector’ program, jointly co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the ‘Flavours of Sri Lanka’ event was a collaboration between GIZ Sri Lanka, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Berlin, and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board.

The 10 displayed Sri Lankan organic products were: Banana blossom (Sayaladu CoCo); Coconuts (Ceylon Exports & Trading); Vanilla (D&P Ceylon Expo); Cinnamon (Savour Route); Pepper (Joint Agri Products Ceylon Ltd.); Jackfruit (Worga Naturals Ltd.); Mango (Ellawala Horticulture Ltd.); Blooming Tea (Gralgo from Ceylon Ltd.); Immunity Booster Drink (Adhitya Ayurveda); and Moringa Powder (Lanka Good Market Gte Ltd.). European buyers and investors were able to discover and try the products while interacting with the respective companies and building business connections. Enhancing the atmosphere at the event, fusion dishes were prepared from the products on display to the audience, thus bringing them to life. 

Notable speakers at the event included Parliamentary Friendship Group for Relations with the States of South Asia of Deutsche Bundestag Chair and former Federal Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture of Germany Renate Künast, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Germany Varuni Muthukumaran, European Commission International Officer responsible for Sri Lanka Tomasz May, and GIZ Berlin Head Randa Kourieh. Also in attendance were senior Sri Lankan Government officials representing the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Sri Lanka Standards Institute, Sri Lanka Accreditation Board, and Department of Agriculture, as part of an International Study Tour that was funded though the ‘Support to Small and Medium Enterprises in the Organic Agriculture Sector’ program co-financed by the EU and BMZ.

The event highlighted the EU and GIZ work done in the field of Organic Agriculture in Sri Lanka, which included supporting over 1,000 farmers and over 100 private sector companies. GIZ Sri Lanka and EU have been leveraging Sri Lanka’s organic agriculture industry, by providing technical inputs and knowledge to uplift the industry’s export potential.