The Rainforest Alliance in a bid to introduce good practices to the plantation sector has continuously increased investments to Sri Lanka.
Since the Alliance started working in Sri Lanka since 2008 investments have grown from $350,000 in 2015 to almost double of that amount this year ($682,000).
These include several workshops, training sessions and also testing facilities in tea estates said Vice President of RainForest Alliance, Ana Paula.
Speaking to Daily News Business, after attending the Sri Lanka Tea Convention, she said that they introduced several good practices and new technology to two estates in Up county and they have yielded good results.
“In addition we have conducted training facilities for over 75 government field officers, 17,500 Tea Smallholders so far and this program is ongoing.
Commenting on the use Glyphosate she said that it was first approved for use in the 1970s, and as of 2010 was labelled for use in 130 countries. Between 2013 and 2015 it was banned in El Salvador, Bermuda, Colombia and Sri Lanka.
“The Netherlands and France prohibits sale of glyphosate to individuals for use at home. A vote on the re-licencing of glyphosate in the EU stalled in March 2016.
“Member states France, Sweden, and the Netherlands objected to the renewal. A vote to reauthorize on a temporary basis failed in June 2016 but at the last-minute the license was extended for 18 months and will be re-evaluated at the end of 2017.”
She said that she feels it can be used in smaller values. “Glyphosate can irradiate only three types of weeds but there are 20 more that has to be removed by hand.”
She said some weeds have to be retained in the plantation. “Sri Lanka’s tea sector has long relied on agro¬chemicals to battle weeds, but the smallholders who participate in Rainforest Alliance training learn a approach by avoiding weedicides, not only do they protect forests, wildlife, and their own health, but they also reduce expenses, generate more bio-mass (which decreases the need for fertilizer), and increase crop production.”
Commenting on the wages for Sri Lanka tea sector she said that they were satisfactory when compared to the region. ‘Both India and Bangladesh pays less.”
"One of the participants of the program D.W.C. Amaratunge, smallholder in Uda Karawita had said that the program was very helpful. In the past, many bushes were prone to termite attacks but, amazingly, we don’t see them now."
"I believe this is due to ground cover and healthy bushes.”
The Rain forest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization that has worked for 30 years around the world to conserve forests and natural resources while advancing sustainable livelihoods.
The Rain forest Alliance collaborates with foresters, farmers, businesses and workers to build healthy communities, protect habitat, and re-balance the Earth, working towards the vision of a world where planet and people prosper together.
More details could be obtained from http://ift.tt/2uMOWuu
Ana Paula Tavares, Executive Vice President, Rain forest Alliance, Giri Kadurugamuwa, Director ASLM
(Alliance for Sustainable Landscape Management), Rain forest Alliance program coordinator,
Vishwamithra Kadurugamuwa, Director ASLM (Alliance for Sustainable Landscape Management)
and Reena Chadee, Marketing and Communications, Rainforest Alliance in Colombo.
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