Sri Lanka has decided to accelerate efforts to promote organically grown fruits and vegetables for export markets in anticipation of new European Union sustainability legislation.
The European Union, as part of its global sustainable development agenda, plans to introduce laws in the coming years requiring exporters of agricultural products to comply with strict sustainability standards. Once implemented, countries like Sri Lanka will need to focus more heavily on organic production to maintain and expand access to EU markets.
Commenting on the country’s preparedness, Export Development Board Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe said his office has already initiated measures to strengthen organic cultivation of fruits and vegetables for export.
“The current global market for organic agricultural products is approximately US$150 billion and is expected to grow to US$650 billion by 2034. For Sri Lanka to capture even a small share of this expanding market, we must develop our organic farming sector. The Export Development Board is actively involved in this effort,” he said.
He noted that nearly 50 percent of global demand for organic products comes from the EU and the United Kingdom. Currently, around 20,000 farmers in Sri Lanka cultivate approximately 70,000 acres of land organically for export purposes.
Under the National Action Plan for Export Development, the Export Development Board plans to expand the area under organic cultivation in the future.
Organic farming involves producing food using natural materials and processes, minimizing reliance on synthetic inputs. Meanwhile, the European Commission has set a target of converting 25 percent of agricultural land in the EU to organic farming by 2030.
