The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Janathakshan GTE Ltd., the primary partner in the GEF-07 Project, at the EDB’s headquarters. This agreement establishes a strategic alliance focused on biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management, and climate-resilient livelihoods. The MoU was executed by Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the EDB, and Dr. Janaka Hemathilaka, CEO and Executive Director of Janathakshan GTE Ltd., in the presence of senior EDB officials.
The GEF-07 Project, officially known as “Partnerships and Innovative Financing to Mainstream Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Management in the Wet Climatic Zone of Sri Lanka,” is a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This initiative spans six districts within the wet zone: Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Ratnapura, Kegalle, and Nuwara Eliya, aiming to enhance biodiversity conservation, promote sustainable land management, and improve rural livelihoods.
As part of the MoU, both organizations will work together in several important areas, including creating market connections between producer groups supported by the project and registered exporters, facilitating participation in trade fairs and EDB’s export promotion initiatives, and providing guidance on export compliance. Additionally, the partnership will focus on obtaining Geographical Indication (GI) certification for premium products such as Kithul and Pepper, along with developing cluster-level certification frameworks for producer societies.
The agreement addresses six specific sectors: Organic and Artisanal Tea, Kithul Products, Pepper and Pepper Oil, Arecanut and Kolapath eco-friendly tableware, Cardamom, and Jackfruit. Activities aimed at these sectors will involve enhancing value, improving quality, ensuring hygienic production methods, and supplying market intelligence to facilitate access to key export markets, including Japan, the European Union, and the United States.
This partnership is anticipated to bring substantial benefits to rural farming communities in the wet zone, including the bolstering of export-oriented agroforestry and tea value chains, improved export readiness among smallholder producers, and the promotion of biodiversity-friendly, climate-resilient production systems. Through this MoU, both organizations reaffirm their dedication to fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth while protecting Sri Lanka’s valuable natural heritage.
Source: Financial Chronicle Biz English | Sri Lanka Business News.
