Sri Lanka Bee Honey – From a forest full of a medicine

Walking into a Sri Lankan forest is like walking into a medicine cabinet. so said a farmer. And this is true because 1. There is immense bio diversity in such a small space 2. So much of our plant life has medicinal benefits, which supported the indigenous ‘Hela Vedakama’ (medicine) of Sri Lanka. Therefore there is a possibility that Sri Lankan bee honey has great potential to become the next big high value export. But, to date the industry is at a very basic level; there is no formal support, no R & D, very few scientific studies, very few regulations. This is what Goodfolks is trying to change by 1. Conducting research into the quality of Sri Lankan Bee Honey and then finding a positioning in the international market 2. Developing a supply chain that brings employment opportunities to homes, communities and women’s groups (ex: plantation sector women could earn an extra income) 3. Because this is a product anyone can get behind, it has tremendous potential to drive environmental causes. In this session we will be outlining the bee honey story in Sri Lanka. What changes we are making, where we are going, and how you (funders/policy-makers etc) can support us to accelerate this process.