Sri Lankan exporters attend world’s largest food innovation exhibition in Paris

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Embassy in France, successfully organised Sri Lanka’s participation at SIAL Paris 2024 – one of the world’s leading F&B exhibitions held once every two years in France – which took place from 19 to 23 October in Paris. 

Local F&B businesses representing a wide range of sectors, such as coconut-based products, confectionery items, cashew and savoury products, frozen and processed food, and value-added innovative products, made use of this opportunity to enhance their business opportunities. 

This year, the EDB enabled the participation of 19 companies via the Sri Lanka country pavilion in two spacious halls. The participant firms were: Alpex Ceylon Tea Ltd., Adamexpo, Adamjee Lukmanjee Exports Ltd., Consolidated Business Systems Ltd., Planto Ceylon Ltd., Samagi Spice Exports Ltd., Bespice Ltd., Rancrisp Marketing Ltd., Expo Commodities Ltd., Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Ltd., Tropikal Life International Ltd., Global Trading Services, Unistar International Ltd., Ceylon Plant Food Ltd., Healing Life International Ltd., Enrich Tea & Food Exports Ltd., New Lanka Cinnamon Ltd., and HJS Condiments Ltd.

A special feature of Sri Lanka’s presence at the 2024 edition of the premier French F&B trade fair was that the EDB, with the financial assistance of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), organised a dedicated promotional area for EU PGI-certified Ceylon Cinnamon products of 10 business entities to enable their entry into the EU market. Samagi Spice Exports Ltd., Pasanka Ltd., Jaith Ceylon Cinnamon Ltd., Kurunegala Plantations Ltd., Saviru Spices & Naturals Ltd., Cenica Exports Ltd., Uruwala Estate, Aikya Agro Ltd., K.P. Somadasa and Company Ltd., and SDS Spice were the beneficiaries of this initiative. This support underscores the EDB’s commitment to promote GI-certified Ceylon Cinnamon products and enhance their visibility in international markets.

The Sri Lankan Embassy in France, led by Sri Lankan Ambassador Manisha Gunasekera, provided comprehensive support to the EDB in organising Sri Lanka’s participation at the event. The Embassy connected several leading buyers with the Sri Lankan companies, including the Carrefour supermarket chain in France. The Ambassador visited the Sri Lanka pavilions and had discussions with the Sri Lankan companies during the trade fair.

Prior to the exhibition, the EDB, with the assistance of the Sri Lankan Embassy, shared the contact details of potential importers for all product sectors displayed by Sri Lankan companies, enabling the participant firms to arrange business meetings. Further, the Sri Lanka Mission in France invited all potential importers to visit the Sri Lanka pavilion and arranged B2B meetings with potential importers at the pavilion. The Embassy also organised a successful social media campaign in the French and English languages for a period of more than five weeks. 

To give more visibility and to attract potential commercial partners to the Sri Lanka pavilion in two locations, the EDB organised a webinar series before the exhibition for the individual participants/companies highlighted by SIAL Paris. In addition, at the request of the EDB, a promotional video was produced by the Embassy featuring well-known French Chef Dominique Pambrun promoting PGI-certified Ceylon Cinnamon in the French market. 

The EDB received positive feedback from the companies that showcased their products at the country pavilion. The participant firms had been able to secure more than $ 2.8 million worth of confirmed orders from the EU and other region buyers by the end of the show. In addition to the confirmed orders, around $ 3.6 million worth of businesses are under negotiation for spices, coconut products, processed food, confectionery products, and tea. 

SIAL Paris has become the flagship meeting for the entire food industry, and the SIAL brand has become an essential hub for global food supply and demand with a focus on innovation. This year’s edition was bigger than ever, with 11 halls for 10 food industry sectors that brought together 7,500 exhibitors representing 127 countries, displaying over 400,000 products and innovations.