Sri Lanka hosts inaugural public-private-people forum to drive climate-smart agriculture

Friday, 7 February 2025 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Environment Ministry Additional Secretary Dr. R.D.S. Jayatunga

Assistant FAO Representative – Program Nalin Munasinghe

The inaugural “Catalysing Climate-Smart Agriculture: Public-Private-People” forum convened recently in Colombo, bringing together key stakeholders from the private sector, Government, civil society, and international development partners to address pressing challenges in Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector through innovative climate-smart solutions.

The forum, jointly organised by the Environment Ministry and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), served as a strategic platform to facilitate dialogue and collaboration aimed at overcoming barriers to private sector engagement in climate-smart agriculture. Discussions focused on policy, regulatory, and fiscal reforms, along with digital innovations, to enhance resilience, reduce emissions, and support national climate goals.

Environment Ministry Additional Secretary Dr. R.D.S. Jayatunga, highlighted the forum’s significance and said, “This forum underscores the power of collective action in addressing one of the most urgent challenges of our time. By uniting the expertise and resources of the public, private, and community sectors, we can unlock innovative solutions to build resilience in agriculture and secure sustainable livelihoods for millions of Sri Lankans.”

In his opening address, Assistant FAO Representative – Program Nalin Munasinghe, emphasising the importance of partnerships said, “Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector stands at a crossroads. Through collaborative efforts like this Forum, we can drive sustainable, climate-resilient growth that safeguards livelihoods and ensures food security for future generations.”

The forum’s sessions highlighted key challenges, including the impact of climate change, such as erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, temperature rise and pest outbreaks, which have disrupted agricultural productivity. Stakeholders at the forum validated findings of the comprehensive “Barriers Assessment” and explored actionable solutions to mobilise private sector investments. Proposed measures included tailored policy reforms, financial incentives, and enhanced coordination mechanisms to align investments with global financing opportunities and local needs.

A collaborative roadmap for climate-smart agriculture

One of the forum’s key outputs was the validation of an actionable roadmap designed to:

Address barriers limiting private sector investment
Foster public-private-community collaboration
Leverage international climate financing
Develop digital systems to streamline efforts and scale up best practices in climate-smart agriculture

The roadmap also emphasised the establishment of a private sector working group to sustain momentum and ensure continued dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders.

Global expertise and local action

The forum featured expert presentations on the best global practices, including insights from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment plan. Stakeholders from academia, civil society, and the financial sector shared their perspectives, ensuring an inclusive approach to crafting solutions.

The outputs of the forum will inform ongoing and future initiatives to strengthen Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector, with a focus on fostering resilience, promoting sustainable practices, and achieving national climate commitments.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.