Business
Vision Casting at BIOFACH 2023
Dilmah-GLX led Lost Ingredients Lab Program Participants Attend World Leading Organic Food Trade Fair
The Lost Ingredients Lab program pushes the boundaries of the Sri Lankan organic food and agriculture sector by adding value along the supply chain to locally underutilized ingredients like jackfruit, gotukola and seaweed to be embraced by the world, A Dilmah news release said last week.
“For over eight months, the Lost Ingredients Lab programme (LIL), a Dilmah Tea and Good Life X collaboration, has been mentoring six promising small-medium entrepreneurs and agri-tech companies equipping them with knowledge, strategies, and tools to position their products strongly in the international market,” the release said.
“An exciting highlight of the programme was a recent visit to BIOFACH – the world’s leading trade fair for organic food held in Nürnberg, Germany (14th-17th February 2023). Nowhere else in the world has this many organic food suppliers, partners, products, and consumers gathered in one place to meet, network, and inform.
“It was the perfect environment for the budding organic agripreneurs to pitch their solutions, understand global trends, and form new connections with potential partners. They were further able to glean the ‘who’, ‘what’ and ‘how’ dynamics of other brands that exist in this space. On the ground, the six companies received constant mentorships and guidance from programme experts including Bert Jan Ottens, Senior Advisor, ProFound, making the trip focused and productive.”
This year the trends at BIOFACH were “New Glocal”, “Vegan meets Tradition”, “Less is More” and “New Sweeteners”. There was a new-found interest towards food & agriculture, an alternative means of producing food that will have a low or net positive impact on lowering the carbon footprint by improving soil health, improving water quality and even food productivity, which is encouraging to the LIL participants who live this concept coupled with food and agri-tech innovation.
A Lankan company, Lak Nature, a woman-led enterprise, heroes the superfood gotukola in their product line of healthy porridge and cereals. Plant Based envisions plant-based fast food championing young jackfruit.
Others like Ceylon Agri and Aqua is combining community development in Jaffna and Mannar with seaweed harvesting for carrageenan extraction. Saviru Technologies manufactures its own food dehydrators, provides premier dehydration solutions and even has its own line of spices. Niftron is on a mission to simplify blockchain for agri and other businesses to improve trust, security, and ownership. Senzmate Polar promotes technology to keep food safe from farm to fork.
Kapila Weeratunga Arachchi of Saviru Technologies said, “We have been developing and promoting dehydration technologies for 20 years. At BIOFACH 2023, we saw for the first time, what was happening in the world with agro and food processing. We gauged that our local technology and dehydrated products are on par with Europe. There was a keen interest in our dehydration technologies and dehydration services centre model. Development agencies in the African region thought that we are ideal candidates for South-South cooperation for technology transfer. Thanks to the LIL Program we are ready to deliver beyond our shores to the global village.”
Lakmini Weerakkody of Lak Nature International said, “BIOFACH gave me good exposure. I learned so much, identified potential markets and got the best experience about new trends in the international market. The wonderful team of Lost Ingredients Lab guides us on accessibility, opportunities, knowledge-building and many more, always.”
The Lost Ingredients Lab is an initiative under the ‘Support to Small and Medium Enterprises in the Organic Agriculture Sector’ Programme of the Multi-Donor Action (MDA) jointly co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The program is aimed at creating investment opportunities in the domestic agri-food sector, emphasising the growing importance of digitalizing the domestic organic food sector, and supporting organic food producers in Sri Lanka to access new markets, particularly in the EU.
The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka) proudly facilitated the first-ever Sri Lankan delegation’s participation at Drupa 2024, the world’s largest trade fair for the printing industry and technology. Held after an eight-year hiatus, Drupa 2024 was a landmark event, marking significant advancements and opportunities in the global printing industry.
AHK Sri Lanka played a pivotal role in organising and supporting the delegation, which comprised 17 members from the Sri Lanka Association for Printers (SLAP), representing eight companies from the commercial, newspaper, stationery printing, and packaging industries. This pioneering effort by AHK Sri Lanka not only showcased the diverse capabilities of Sri Lanka’s printing sector but also facilitated vital bilateral discussions with key stakeholders from the German printing industry.
Business
Unveiling Ayugiri: Browns Hotels & Resorts sets the stage for a new era in luxury Ayurveda Wellness
In a captivating reimagining of luxury wellness tourism, Browns Hotels & Resorts proudly unveiled the exquisite Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort Sigiriya. This momentous occasion, celebrated amidst a vibrant and serene grand opening on the 6th of June, heralds a new chapter in the Ayurveda wellness tourism landscape in Sri Lanka. Nestled amidst 54 acres of unspoiled natural splendour, Ayugiri features 22 exclusive suites and stands out as the only luxury Ayurveda wellness resort in the country offering plunge pools in every room, rendering it truly one-of-a-kind.
The grand opening of Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort was an enchanting event, where guests were captivated by the melodies of flutists and violinists resonating through Sigiriya’s lush landscapes. As traditional drummers and dancers infused the air with vibrant energy, Browns Hotels & Resorts’ CEO, Eksath Wijeratne, Kotaro Katsuki, Acting Ambassador for the Embassy of Japan and General Manager, Buwaneka Bandara, unveiled the resort’s new logo, marking a significant moment witnessed by distinguished guests from the French Embassy, Ayurveda and wellness enthusiasts along with officials from the Sigiriya area, LOLC Holdings and Browns Group.
“Our strategic expansion into wellness tourism with Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort Sigiriya symbolises a significant milestone for Browns Hotels & Resorts. Wellness tourism has consistently outperformed the overall tourism industry for over a decade, reflecting a growing global interest in travel that goes beyond leisure to offer rejuvenation and holistic well-being. By integrating the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda with modern luxury, we aim to set a new standard in luxury wellness tourism in Sri Lanka. Whether your goal is prevention, healing, or a deeper connection to inner harmony, Ayugiri offers a sanctuary for holistic well-being” stated Eksath Wijeratne.
Ayugiri encapsulates the essence of life, inspired by the lotus flower held by the graceful queens of the infamous Sigiriya frescoes. Just as the lotus emerges from the murky depths, untainted and serene,
Ayugiri invites guests on a journey of purity and rejuvenation, harmonised with a balance of mind, body and spirit, the essence of nature, echoes of culture and the wisdom of ancient Ayurvedic healing.
HNB General Insurance, one of Sri Lanka’s leading general insurance providers, has been honored as the Best General Bancassurance Provider in Sri Lanka 2024 by the prestigious Global Banking and Finance Review – UK.
The esteemed accolade underscores HNB General Insurance’s unwavering commitment to excellence and its outstanding performance in the field of bancassurance. Through dedication and hard work, the HNB General Insurance team has continuously endeavored to deliver innovative insurance solutions, cultivate strong relationships with banking partners, and provide unparalleled service to customers nationwide. This recognition is a testament to the team’s dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence in the bancassurance business.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award, which reflects our team’s tireless efforts and dedication to delivering value-added insurance solutions and exceptional service through our bancassurance partnerships,” said Sithumina Jayasundara, CEO of HNB General Insurance. “This recognition reaffirms our position as a trusted insurance provider in Sri Lanka and motivates us to continue striving for excellence in serving our customers and communities.”
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