The presentation describes the baseline situation, project activities, partners, as well as country management and implementation plans

1. ‘Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation
& sustainable use for
improved human nutrition and wellbeing’
Sri Lanka Component
First International Steering Committee
Meeting, 25th April 2012
Rio, Brazil
Anura Wijesekara
National Project Coordinator (PPG)

2. •The project plans over the 3 technical components including
some key activities
•Where the project is going to work, which kinds of sites/ecosystems,
•The key collaborating partners identified nationally
•The project implementation and management plans at the national
level to facilitate implementation
•The key next steps for the project (next 6 months)

3. Source: Dr. Renuka Jayatissa, MRI, Sri Lanka

4. Nutritional Status
Source: Dr. Renuka Jayatissa, MRI, Sri Lanka

5. Traditional Rice Varieties

6. Root and Tuber Crops

7. Vegetables

8. Leafy Vegetables

9. Fruits

10. Wild Harvested Plants

11. Underutilized Crops

12. Component 1: Nutritional Benefits from Agriculture
Biodiversity-Knowledge Base
1. Identify and Document important local agro-biodiversity
in selected agro-ecosystems
2. Determine and educate the society on potential
nutritional contribution from local agro-biodiversity
3. Document traditionally used food recipes for local agro-
biodiversity and develop new recipes
4. Establish a national portal to disseminate information
on local agro-biodiversity / their nutritional value /
conservation status with links to FAO-INFOODS
5. Generate data for nutritional indicators for biodiversity
6. Study and document threat to local biodiversity in three
selected ecosystems

13. Component 2: Policy and regulatory framework
1. Establish a national biodiversity Agriculture
Development and Health coordinating Committee
under the ministry of Environment with a link to
national food security committee (cabinet
approved)
2. Review national policies on agriculture and nutrition
and prepare policy briefing for policy revision
3. Introduce new local agro-biodiversity market chain
through provincial agriculture departments and
‘divineguma’ program of the ministry of economic
development

14. Component 3: Increase awareness and out scaling
1. Intervene with existing government home garden popularizing
program to in-cooperate use of local agro-biodiversity, external input
saving and family nutritional status encasement
2. Use Women Agriculture Extension program of the department of
agriculture to establish and evaluate low input, nutritional home
gardens /introduction & popularization of recipies
3. Use NGO partners for planting material production, popularization of
local agro-biodiversity conservation and utilization programs, market
chain development and CBO establishment
4. Introduction of local agro-biodiversity for mid day meal program of
the department of education in selected areas
5. Introduction of local agro-biodiversity preparations into tourist
industry
6. Educate farmers in pilot site on ecosystem approach for agro-
biodiversity conservation
7. Conduct diversity fairs

15. 3 Selected ecosystems
1. Gampola
1
2. Udakumbura
3. Sinharaja
2
3

16. Pilot sites
1. Gampola Village in Kurunegala District
• Low country Dry Zone
• Rice based cultivation under village tank system
• Rice, Vegetables, freshwater fish
• About 120 families
• Primary School with mid day meal
• Forest Department home garden improvement program

17. A typical tank cascade

23. Pilot sites
1. Udakumbura Village in KandyDistrict
• Mid country wet Zone
• Rice based cultivation near Knuckles forest range
• Rice, Vegetables, fruits, palm tapping
• Kandiyan forest gardens
• About 90 families
• Primary School with mid day meal
• DOA home garden improvement program

28. Pilot sites
1. Ambatenna Village in Ratnapura District
• Low country wet Zone
• Tea based economy
• Rice, Vegetables, fruits, root crops, palm tapping
• About 100 families
• Primary School with mid day meal
• Forest Department CBO

32. Main Stakeholders – Agriculture Sector
•Department of Agriculture (Implementing Agency)
•Department of Export Agriculture
•Ministry of Rural Industries and Self Employment
•University of Peradeniya
•University of Ruhuna
•Community Development Center (NGO) Aranayake
•Green Movement of Sri Lanka (NGO)
•Sevalanka Foundation (NGO)

33. Main Stakeholders – Nutrition Sector
•Department of Health (Medical Research Institute
& Nutrition Coordination Division)
•Department of Indigenous Medicine
•Wayamba University of Sri Lanka
•Nutritional Alliance of Sri Lanka (NGO organization)
•Ministry of Education
•University of Peradeniya
•University of Ruhuna

34. Main Stakeholders – Environment Sector
•Ministry of environment
•Biodiversity Secretariat
•Forest Department
•Green Movement of Sri Lanka
•Central Environment Authority
•National Botanic Gardens
•University of Sri Jayewardenepura
•Tourist Board

35. Structure and linkages of project partner organizations
HORDI Horticultural Crops Research & Development Institute FRU Food Research Unit
CDC Community Development Center IFS Institute of Fundamental Studies
MRI Medical Research Institute BMARI Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurveda research institute
PGRC Plant Generic Resource Center MOE Ministry of Education

36. Work During Next 6 months
1.Appoint Steering Committee, Project
Coordinator, Sign LOA, Establish project office
and Start by September 2012
2.Conduct an inception Workshop & establish
working mechanism among partners
3.Conduct Biodiversity surveys at three
selected cites
4.Conduct baseline study of nutritional status
of farm families in pilot sites

37. Challenges and Opportunities
Opportunities
•Government home garden promotion program
•Health concerns of urban population
•Popularity of traditional food related Self employment
•Increasing Tourist attraction
Challenges
•Changing attitudes towards food & nutrition
•Medical sector collaboration with Agriculture & Environment
•Analysis of nutritional composition of food
•Public awareness

38. Thanks for your attention