Sri Lanka and FAO Achievements and success stories FAO Representation in Sri Lanka FAO Representation in Sri Lanka March 2011 FAO Representative: Patrick Thomas Evans 202 Bauddhaloka Mawatha Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1505, Colombo 7 Colombo 7 Tel: (+94) 11-258 0798 / 258 8537 Sri Lanka Fax: (+94) 11-258 7990 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.fao.org/world/srilanka The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. 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Applications for such permission should be addressed to: Chief Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch Communication Division FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy or by e-mail to: [email protected] © FAO 2011 Introduction pon achieving independence from the United Kingdom, the country of Ceylon became a member nation of the UFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1948 and development support to Ceylon’s agriculture and livestock sectors dates back to 1953. With UNDP support, FAO was actively involved in providing technical assistance to the country which was renamed “Sri Lanka” in 1972. In 1979, a full FAO Representation was established within the UN compound in Colombo. As UNDP support for FAO executed projects diminished in 1990, FAO has continued an active supporting role through trust fund arrangements and with the Technical Cooperation Programme to address government needs and priorities within the sectors of agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and forestry. Since 1979, some 350 projects and programmes have been implemented with FAO support amounting to nearly 300 million USD, while many thousands of Sri Lankans have benefited from training in-country and abroad and many have been supported to participate in international conferences around the world. The government and the people of Sri Lanka have significantly benefited from the technical expertise and support provided by FAO over the past half a century. Consequently FAO has a high degree of respect within the country and the government has displayed a considerable level of trust for FAO as the Representation was requested in 2010 to take a lead for agricultural livelihood reestablishment for conflict displaced people in the north including full provision of seed paddy for the current planting season. As the 26 year-long conflict with the Tamil Tigers ended in 2009, a new planning exercise is now underway between the government and FAO to prioritize needs within each mandated sector for the next five years. FAO maintain constant and regular contact with government officials and has close partnerships with the UN Country Team and donors to assist the government to address their stated needs and priorities within FAO’s mandated areas. Toward this end, FAO co-chairs the sector working group on agriculture and food security with WFP, and is currently also responsible for the coordination of agriculture rehabilitation in the north. Finally, FAO chairs the poverty pillar of the UNDAF which encompasses FAO’s mandated sectors. Looking ahead, FAO’s programmes in Sri Lanka will continue to expand in 2011 and beyond, with some 100 staff at present based in 10 different locations. 1 1. Analytical summary and better use of plant genetic resources which was adopted at the fourth International Technical Conference AO has worked to assist the people of Sri Lanka by held in June 1996. Subsequent FAO support has resulted Fsupporting the government in policy planning and in the drafting and approval of the Seed Act for the legislation, while implementing projects and programmes country in 2003. to address needs and priorities in the different sectors. A key contribution from FAO has been capacity Given its wide spectrum of technical expertise, FAO has development of government staff and departments. assisted in the collection, analysis, interpretation and Over the years, FAO through various donor funded dissemination of information related to food, nutrition, programmes has provided numerous long-term fellow- agriculture, forestry and fisheries that has provided ships leading to post graduate degrees as well as regular farmers, scientists, government planners and the private short term international training programmes. Sri Lanka sector with information required to make rational being a signatory to the agreement for Technical decisions on planning, investment, marketing, research Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC) – which and training. By providing the government with provides exchange of experts among the developing independent advice on agricultural policy and planning, countries for agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors – FAO has assisted in the establishment of structures a large number of Sri Lankan experts have served in FAO needed for development, which include national assisted programmes in other countries. strategies for development, programmes for food security and the alleviation of poverty. At the national level, FAO has carried out extensive training courses, workshops and seminars for the benefit FAO’s neutral forum has given Sri Lanka the opportunity of thousands of technical officers of various departments to actively participate at many international conventions which continuously and regularly provide in-service and major conferences, technical meetings and expert training for the Government officers. Many trained officers consultations which have paved the way for imple- have subsequently provided training to many farmers and mentation of new policies targeted to bring about better fishermen directly impacting food security and management of resources. livelihoods. Through the Global Information and Early Warning System The Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal (GIEWS) which monitors crop production to detect and Plant pests and Diseases (EMPRES), which FAO emerging food shortages and assess possible emergency established in the year 1994, strengthened the country’s food requirements, Sri Lanka gained a competitive edge existing contribution to prevention, control and when during the drought seasons that existed in the Southern, possible, eradication of diseases and pests. In Sri Lanka North-Western and North-Central provinces for four this has helped the eradication of rinderpest disease and consecutive planting seasons during the years 1999 to the prevention of the entry of H5N1 into the country. 2002 and again in 2004. In addition, the World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT) has provided FAO’s Emergency relief assistance programme has been Sri Lanka with a gateway to FAO’s wealth of data and active in Sri Lanka during the past three decades. At times analysis on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural of natural disasters such as the cyclone in 1985, the development in a variety of forms including electronic/ tsunami of 2004 and the impact of 26 years of conflict in web based resources. the east and north, FAO has provided much needed emergency assistance in the form of inputs and support The International code of conduct on the distribution and to the affected population. use of pesticides, which established international standards of conduct for the industry and governments, has Following the tsunami of 2004, FAO supported rehabili- ensured that health and safety concerns are addressed tation of the severely damaged fisheries sector in eight during the importation and use of pesticides. of the most seriously affected districts. With the end of conflict in the country, FAO is currently implementing Sri Lanka is also one of the 150 countries which have projects worth over 20 million dollars to help re-establish ratified the first Global plan of action for the conservation livelihoods for the returning population. 2 2. Selected successful FAO programmes “Api Wawamu – Rata Nagamu” or “let us cultivate and uplift the nation”. The goal of this campaign is to achieve he foundation of agriculture and food security in self-sufficiency in rice production and to strive for TSri Lanka is paddy production. Years of conflict self-sufficiency with some 20 other crops. The 10-year had undermined production and had left vast areas of plan emphasizes food security and higher incomes for agriculture land abandoned in the east and north. In small farmers through improved cultural practices, addition, the soaring costs of agriculture inputs and modern technology and a shift to more commercial relatively low costs of imported rice resulted in farmers agriculture. abandoning paddy cultivation in some non-conflict affected areas. An overriding concern for the country has been