Sri Lanka

Project overview

Rice-based food systems are central to Sri Lanka’s economy, food security and livelihoods, providing around 45% of national calorie intake and supporting 1.8 million farming families. However, these systems face significant environmental and socio-economic challenges, including declining productivity, food insecurity and economic pressures linked to macroeconomic instability and input shortages.

Unsustainable farming practices contribute to land degradation, water pollution and biodiversity loss. Rice cultivation is highly resource-intensive, accounting for a large share of fertilizer use, freshwater withdrawals and greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change further exacerbates these pressures through droughts, floods, and increased rainfall variability, affecting productivity and resilience.

Additional challenges include fragmented value chains, limited access to finance and technology, weak extension services and persistent inequalities in access to resources, particularly for women. These factors constrain the transition to more sustainable and diversified production systems and reduce the resilience of farming communities.

In response, the project supports the transformation of rice-based food systems towards more sustainable, regenerative and resilient models that improve productivity, restore ecosystems and strengthen livelihoods while delivering global environmental benefits.

Our approach

The project aims to strengthen the enabling environment through improved policy frameworks, multi-stakeholder coordination and institutional capacity for cross-sectoral planning and implementation. It enhances access to finance by supporting investment planning and mobilizing resources through public–private partnerships, enabling the transition to sustainable rice-based production systems.

At the landscape level, the program promotes sustainable production systems through deforestation-free commodity supply chains, landscape restoration, and improved land-use planning. It supports the adoption of evidence-based technologies, improved input-use efficiency, and strengthened value chains to enhance productivity and resilience.

Knowledge generation, monitoring and learning are central, supporting innovation, scaling and the dissemination of best practices through national and global FSIP platforms, while ensuring inclusive participation and benefits.

Sites

The project focuses on three priority landscapes across three river basins:

• Maduru Oya river basin
• Mundeni Aru river basin
• Miyangolle Ela river basin