EU’s sustainability laws drive Sri Lanka to revive organic farming

• US $ 150 billion market for organic products set to rise to US $ 650 billion by 2034 
• Sri Lanka under compulsion to revive organic farming  
• Sri Lanka currently has around 20,000 farmers cultivating approximately 70,000 acres of land organically for export purposes

By Kelum Bandara  

Ahead of the European Union’s plans to introduce more sustainability-related laws, Sri Lanka has decided to ramp up measures to promote the organic cultivation of fruits and vegetables targeting the export market, an official said yesterday.  
The European Union, as part of its global sustainable development agenda, is preparing to enforce new laws requiring companies and individuals exporting agricultural products to its markets to comply with sustainability standards in the coming years.  
Once these laws come into effect, countries like Sri Lanka will need to rely more on organically produced goods to maintain and expand their market access. Commenting on Sri Lanka’s preparedness, Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe said his office has already initiated measures to strengthen organic fruit and vegetable cultivation for export.  
“The current global market for organic agricultural products stands at around US$150 billion and is projected to rise to US$650 billion by 2034. If Sri Lanka is to capture even a small share of this growing market, we must develop our organic farming sector. The EDB has already intervened in this regard,” he told *Daily Mirror*.  
He noted that nearly 50 percent of the demand for organic produce will come from EU countries and the United Kingdom.  
According to him, Sri Lanka currently has around 20,000 farmers cultivating approximately 70,000 acres of land organically for export purposes. He said his office had planned to increase the organically farmed landmass in the future under the national action plan for exports development.   
Organic farming is an agricultural method that produces food using natural substances and processes, minimizing the use of synthetic inputs. The European Commission has also set an ambitious target of converting 25 percent of the EU’s agricultural land to organic farming by 2030.