Unilever Sri Lanka is proud to sponsor the ‘Borderless Growth Forum on Quality Assurance for competitiveness’.

Tea in Sri Lanka is celebrated for its superior quality, with a heritage of 150 years that has been a main enabler propelling the local economy. For the Tea industry to continue for another 150 years, retaining world class standards on quality of the product is vital. To ensure this happens, the challenge of climate change and soil degradation must be met head-on. Driving Sustainable Agricultural practices in this island nation is vital for the industry’s survival. With over 400,000 tea small holders driving this massive industry, bringing about change will be no easy feat. Collective action is the only viable solution with Industry, private and government sectors all coming together to drive sustainable agricultural practices. In gearing for tomorrow, let’s take positive collective action today to make a sustainable change for the Sri Lankan tea industry.

Unilever with 75+ years of history in Sri Lanka, whilst embracing its roots build on simple philosophy of ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’ , continues to adapt itself to the changing times. The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) launched in 2010, is at the heart of everything we do. It’s our key business strategy and differentiator and continues to make business sense. Supporting the longevity of the tea industry globally forms a big part of the USLP agenda with all Lipton tea bags being Rain Forest Alliance certified. In Sri Lanka, our Perfect Estates community development initiative along with our Arunella waste management programme have contributed positively towards the well-being of the plantation communities. In this Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous world we live in, change brings in new opportunities and new challenges. Both of which should be met with an enthusiasm to adapt and stay relevant to changing tides.

I wish the Tea Industry in Sri Lanka the very best.

Warm Regards,
Carl Cruz
Chairman – Unilever Sri Lanka