Successful completion of agroforestry project in Sri Lanka

Project achievements

The project focused on implementing agroforestry models to restore degraded tea and coconut plantations. Significant milestones have been achieved, including:

• Successful implementation of 5 hectares of agroforestry on both a degraded coconut and tea plantation.
• Development of a comprehensive guideline for implementing agroforestry on degraded tea and coconut plantations.
• Certification of the participating tea plantation as the world’s first ‘Regenagri’ certified tea estate.
• Establishment of a strong partnership and collaboration, which will continue through the working group to further develop and expand agroforestry initiatives.
• Establishment of agroecological, social and economic benefits.

Collaborative efforts

The success of this project is attributed to the strong cooperation between Sri Lankan and Dutch experts, plantation owners, managers, and workers. The participatory approach ensured active engagement from both the public and private sectors, leading to agroecological, social, and economic benefits that pave the way for further replication of agroforestry practices in Sri Lanka.

Closing events

The project was officially concluded with the final Project Advisory Committee meeting, chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure. The meeting was attended by key Sri Lankan stakeholders, including representatives from the Tea and Coconut Research Institutes.

Additionally, representatives from the Netherlands, including the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the Agricultural Counselor Michiel van Erkel, as well as Nicky Kruizinga (RVO, Project Manager) and Anne Cobben (RVO, Agricultural Advisor), were present. A stakeholder event was also held to facilitate knowledge exchange with other interested plantations.

Ongoing Impact

Both plantations have expressed the ambition to expand agroforestry further within their estates. The partnerships will continue through the establishment of a dedicated Agroforestry Working Group, bringing together all relevant stakeholders under the leadership of the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure. This working group will drive a structured approach to scaling up agroforestry.

Additionally, the tea plantation is planning a mission to the Netherlands to further strengthen its collaboration with Wageningen University and explore new market opportunities.