Link Natural, a subsidiary of CIC Holdings specialises in herbal products. Its ‘Saara Osu’ project was recognised with the Best Sustainability Projects Award 2024 at The Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently. Sri Lanka’s Ayurvedic and herbal products industry is heavily reliant on a variety of herbal materials. However, as domestic production often struggles to meet the demand, there is significant reliance on imports. Import dependency poses challenges to the quality, cost and sustainability. Link Natural launched the ‘Saara Osu’ project to address this issue and to help empower local communities.
Head of Agriculture / Manager – CSR and ER of Link Natural, Priyantha Collonnege said, “We are honoured to have been recognised with this prestigious award. It is a testament to our teams unparalleled commitment to sustainable practices and our goal of preserving the environment that surround the communities we serve. We will continue to strive for excellence in all our endeavours, which includes implementing strategies such as Own Land cultivation, out grower projects, sustainable wild harvesting and more.”
The project aligns with the five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It empowers rural farmers economically by distributing Rs. 32 million, among 360 out grower farmers by the end of the 2024/25 financial year, which aligns with SDG 1, Economic Empowerment of Rural Farmers.
The project also promotes women’s empowerment by involving them in over 50% of out grower farmer cultivations, which aligns with SDG 5, Equal Opportunities and Women Empowerment.
Chief Executive Officer of Link Natural, Ashan Ransilige said, “Our commitment to sustainability is an ongoing journey. We believe that responsible business practices are not merely a trend but more an essential part of our long-term success. Our out-grower network has seen many benefits from this project, including healthy planting material, buy back agreements, stable pricing, agri-technology knowledge through farmer training programs, the introduction of loan facilities and much more.
“We are constantly working to minimise our environmental impact, empower our communities and promote ethical sourcing. This is a core value that drives our operations, and this recognition is attributed to it,” he said.
