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Sri Lanka

Over one-third of Sri Lanka’s population – 20.4 million people – partially derives its livelihood from agricultural and fisheries-based activities and, for many, such provides the foundation for household food security. The civil war that ended only in 2009, compounded by remaining effects of natural disasters such as the 2004 tsunami, has left a legacy of suffering on the island. Nineteen percent of Sri Lankans are undernourished, about four million people.

FAO's main in-country programmes

Special Programme for Food Security
The Special Programme for Food Security started in Sri Lanka in 1999 with a three-year drip irrigation project worth US$515 000. From 2002 to 2008, Japan contributed US$2.45 million and the Sri Lankan government US$850 000 to extend the programme to new sites and with more technical components (diversification, strengthening community institutions, market access and so on).

National Programme for Food Security
In May 2006, the Minister for Agriculture asked FAO to help it formulate a National Programme for Food Security. A national multidisciplinary team, guided by an FAO national consultant and an FAO international advisor, formulated the programme, which was finalized in March 2009. The Ministry of Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services is submitting the programme document to the Department of National Planning for inclusion in the 2010 national budget. It is also being shared with the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Finance. Based on the budget that will be allocated by government, action will be initiated to increase programme visibility in the society and to organize a donor consultation for financial support.

EMPRES animal health component
Sri Lanka has never reported Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, commonly known as bird flu. In order to keep it that way, one national and regional project for bird flu preparedness are operational, following up on six earlier FAO projects.

Efforts are currently being made to verify that the country is free from the fatal cattle disease rinderpest and obtain World Organisation for Animal Health accreditation. Rinderpest was eliminated in 1994 with FAO assistance but the more extensive verification process must now be completed.

Emergency and rehabilitation
During the last 25 years, the recently ended conflict has taken more than 70 000 lives, generated over 520 000 internally displaced persons and left large-scale devastation in its wake. Conflict and repeated displacement have devastated the food production levels and purchasing power of internally displaced persons, returnees, host families and other vulnerable groups. 

FAO and government assessments reveal that 176 658 hectares of farmland have not been cultivated owing to violence or land access restrictions, disrupting the traditional livelihoods of over 215 000 households. In response, FAO interventions seek to empower crisis-stricken households with the means to resume livelihood activities and provide for their families, while preparing them to better cope with future shocks. Through the provision of training and essential inputs, such as quality seeds, agricultural tools, healthy livestock, veterinary supplies and safe fisheries equipment, FAO has helped many thousands of families in Sri Lanka to increase their self-reliance and improve their nutritional intake, while boosting local rural economies.

UN Coordination 
UN Coordination activities in Sri Lanka currently centre on trying to keep the estimated 250 000 internally displaced persons alive in the northern part of the country. UN agencies are working closely with the Central Emergency Response Fund and the Common Humanitarian Action Plan to mobilize resources to meet basic humanitarian needs. As the resettlement process will soon start in one of the northwestern districts, FAO will have a central role as the sector lead for agriculture and food security.

On the UN Development Assistance Framework, FAO has now assumed the chairmanship of one of the four central pillars of the framework, i.e., poverty alleviation. With on-going field programmes, FAO has been collaborating with World Food Programme, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration and UN Development Programme  (UNDP) with provision of support to returning internally displaced persons in the east of the country and a soon to start "early recovery initiative" will jointly involve FAO, UNDP and ILO.

last updated: 28 July 2011