IN THIS ISSUE

Message from the Project Director

Benchmark for Resource Consumption in Tea Factories In Sri Lanka

ISO 22000 Certification

Capacity Building by Partner Institutes

Monitoring Committee Meeting

Green Reporting System

ISSUE 3 (JANUARY - JUNE 2011)

Awareness & Training on Cleaner Production and Certification

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The SWITCH – Asia Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) which is now on its

3rd year of operation has in our opinion contributed overall in a meaningful manner to improve the

Sustainable Initiatives of the Food & Beverage industry. To date about 265 SMEs have been trained and

some have already enhanced their profits by implementing best practices of SCP. About 130 Companies

in the Food & Beverage sector have been trained to comply with international food safety standards (ISO

22000:2005 / HACCP / GMP). Nine Companies have already obtained their certification and a few more are

in the process of being certified during the year 2011 which is a big achievement and would give them a

competitive edge in the export market.

Capacity building for the Project Team continued and they were trained in improving (a) the Environment

Management System, (b) Energy Management System, (c) Carbon and Water foot Print etc. by the for-

eign partners IVAM of the Netherlands and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

In an effort of making necessary information available to practice SCP with confidence Baseline stud-

ies on Energy, Water and Raw materials have been conducted. Information on prominent agricultural

sectors, Tea, Paddy and Rice Mills, Fruit and Vegetable, Poultry, Fish, Spices and Condiments, Dairy and

Bakery has been collected and the final report has been compiled.

An Awareness Programme on National Green Reporting System in Sri Lanka was initiated for Companies

under BOI regime and to the major Supermarkets at the request of the Ministry of Environment. This

initiative will pave the way towards green reporting system in both public and private sectors

S. M. Sathiacama

Project Director

Message from the Project Director

In an effort to expand the geographical horizons of Switch Asia (F&B) program, awareness campaigns were carried out in North Central Province with the assistance of IDB. Two success-ful awareness programs were conducted in districts of Anurad-hapura and Polonnaruwa. The programme was attended by 65 participants. The province is considered as the hub of rice in-dustry and the rice mill operation will have a dramatic impact over the environment too.

The approach of the Switch Asia program to the region will bring immense economic benefits to these entrepreneurs.Yet another successful session was held to educate the paripants through Sri Lanka Food Processors Association to educate their membership on sustaiabiity.

AWARENESS

TRAINING

Cleaner Production

To leave a lasting legacy on sustainable consumption, Switch Asia is continuing it’s country wide training program. With the intention to gear up SMEs towards sustainability a number of training programs were conducted both in Colombo and suburbs. Sixteen food manufacturers from the Kurunegala district were among the latest beneficiaries of the program.

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The tea sector in Sri Lanka has always been a vital component of her economy. It is also the coun-try’s largest employer providing employment both directly and indirectly to over one million people. It also contributes a significant amount to Government revenue and to the gross domestic product. Tea industry in Sri Lanka is categorized into three regions as High, Mid and Low grown according to the eleva-tion. All together, there are about 850 factories in operation in the country. Monthly production capacity of a factory varies from 50,000 kg to 200,000 kg. Most of the factories belong to major plantation com-panies operating in the country while the rest is owned by private parties who operate their factories with bought leaves. The tea sector is the most resource consuming industry caliber which belongs to the food and beverage sector in Sri Lanka. SWITCH Asia was able to deliver the service on promoting sustainable con-sumption and production to more than 15 factories in low grown (low-country) caliber and 30 tea facto-ries belonging to high grown (up-country) caliber. This article focuses on the base line study undertaken in the Tea (high grown and low grown) sector through the SWITCH – Asia programme and particular reference for benchmarking on the usage of natu-ral resources. Switch Asia Project team involved in the preliminary study and the establishments of base line data in the Tea sector who provided their resource consumption information is gratefully acknowl-edged. This base line study mainly concentrated on the consumption of resources such as electricity, firewood and green leaf for high grown and low grown tea factories because each category’s resource consumption data varies drastically with elevation.

By Eng. Loshan PalayangodaSenior Energy Engineer May 16, 2011

Abbreviations MT – Made TeaGL – Green Leaf

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Specific Electrical Energy Consumption (SEEC)

SEEC is the Electrical energy consumption indicator and it is given by kWh per one kg of made tea processed.

Specific Thermal Energy Consumption (STEC)

STEC is the thermal energy consumption indicator and it is specified by kWh per kg of processed or made tea.

Specific Firewood Consumption (SFWC)

Almost all the tea factories use firewood to cater their thermal energy needs. SFWC is the firewood consumption indicator which is specified by kg of firewood/ 1 kg of made tea.

Specific CO2 Emission

Specific CO2 emission is the indicator for evaluating the carbon dioxide emission level of an establish-ment. It is a value derived from the amount of CO2 emitted per unit output of a product. For tea industry it is Tons of CO2 emitted per kilogram of made tea processed.

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LOW GROWN TEALow-grown teas, produced at 500 to 600 meters above mean sea level, are of good quality and give good color and strength. Most factories in these areas produce what are known as leafy grade of tea where the tea leaves are well twisted and graded into long particles. The long-leafed tea gives a slightly sweet aroma and a gentle smooth taste, and usually used in blending. The teas produced in low grown areas are mainly popular in Western Asia, Middle Eastern countries and CIS countries.

BaselineDescription Sample SizeBest

Achievement

SEEC(kWh/ I kg of MT)

15 0.56 0.69

STEC(kWh/1 kg of MT)

15 6.11

SFWC(kg/1 kg of MT)

15 1.34

CO2 Emission(Tons of CO2/ kg of MT) 15 0.003 0.005

Specific Raw Material Consumption(kg of GL/ kg of MT) 15 4.47 4.79

Table 1: Baseline Level Tea Industry - Low Grown

SWITCH-Asia BASELINE FOR TEA

HIGH GROWN TEAThe high-grown teas thrive above 1200m of elevation, with moderate climate and sloping terrain. Hence this type is common in Central highlands. Mid-grown tea is found in 600m-1200m altitude range. Vari-ous types of tea are blended to obtain required flavour and colour. High grown teas from Sri Lanka are reputed for their taste and aroma. The two types of seasonal tea produced in these areas Dimbula and Nuwara Eliya are much sought after by blenders in tea importing countries.

Table 2: Baseline Level Tea Industry – High Grown

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Description Sample Size Best

AchievementBaseline

SEEC(kWh/ I kg of MT)

32 0.68 0.91

STEC(kWh/1 kg of MT)

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SFWC(kg/1 kg of MT) 32

CO Emission(Tons of CO2/ kg of MT) 32 0.005

Specific Raw Material Consumption(kg of GL/ kg of MT) 31 3.79

4.66

2.44

5.62 8.28

1.66 2.45

0.003

8.05

The Hill county, home of a large number of food industries was covered in a series of training programs conducted for the Kandy, Kegalle and Nuwara Eliya districts on International Food Safety Compliance. Two separate training programs were conducted for tea and non tea sectors to facilitate the process of complying with International Food Safety Standards.

Trainning on ISO Certification

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Fulfilling a maiden pledge of the Switch Asia program, a number of SMEs were able to ob-tain ISO 22000 certification. The certification scheme is the next step in the ladder of prog-ress. Companies representing a wide range in-cluding renown household names to highly re-puted exporters were assisted by Switch Asia program to reach these precious standard. This will grant them a firm footing both in local and international markets, making an invaluable contribution to the Sri Lankan economy.

ASIAN CHEMICALS, the leading neutraceutical manufacturer obtained ISC 22000 certification under the guidence of the SWITCH - Asia Programme

ISO 22000 CERTIFICATION

KERN AND HUNDT (PVT) LTD has demonstrated in no uncertain terms that even a micro scale company can adopt an International Food Safety Standard

PANILKANDA is a classic example of a tea factory that has gained ISO 22000 Certification

A company with a far sighted view NEW MONIS BAKERY AND RESTAURANT (PVT) LTD has obtained ISO 22000 certification.

Switch Asia posses firsthand experience in dealing with export oriented companies like SERENDIPOL.

SMEs across the length and breadth of SMEs like CONVENIENCE FOODS PLC were able to identify their real potential

Such knowlege has been effectively converted to a unique experience for SDS SPICE.

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IVAM - NetherlandsWhile the project reaches a stage of maturity, the time

is ripe to explore novel frontiers. With the success of

the operational areas, the services of the foreign ex-

perts are extended to the policy tier too. Dr. Ckees van

Oijen - the policy planning expert of IVAM, conducted

a strategic planning session for the Heads of Partner

Institutes. The long term sustenance of the project mo-

mentum shall be endorsed through similar efforts.

The Switch Asia team was also trained on the cradle-to-

cradle concept to deliver their services effectively.

Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) - India

It is the need of the hour to design a local mecha-

nism to verify the commitment of businesses to-

wards environment. The proposed green report-

ing system shall facilitate such a requirement

adequately. The resource persons from the CII

conducted an introductory seminar on the green

reporting system for a group of leading retailers

and BOI companies. This was a collaborative at-

tempt of the Switch Asia Program, Ministry of En-

vironment and the Board of Investment.

PARTNER INSTITUTES

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MONITORING COMMITTEE MEETING

GREEN REPORTING SYSTEM

The progress of the F&B project was reviewed at the Mon-

itoring committee meeting which was held on 05th May

2011 at Hotel Ramada. The performance of the project for

period of six months was assessed during the meeting.

The heads of partner institutes and other stake holders

came up with a number of valuable insights that will make

the project a success.

The so much expected green reporting system came in to

picture under the assistance of Switch Asia program and

the Ministry of Environment. The CII immensely contrib-

uted for the compilation of the system. A comprehensive

brainstorming session was conducted to review the inputs

of various stake holders representing a number of govern-

ment institutes.

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Extracted from the brochure “Towards a New Green Era” by

The Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka – Former Minister of Environment & Natural Resources

“Sustainable” means long lasting, that is, over hundreds of thousands of years. But modern or predatory develop-ment is not sustainable after 50-100 years. Predatory development has been operating since the mid 19th century and is destined to collapse in the mid 21st century. In the context of the history of humankind, this timeframe is similar to lightening strike that occurs within a day.

Various criteria are put forward to redefine sustainable development inb the modern context. One such definition says that sustainable development means that “per capita utility or wellbeing is increased over time”.

Another view of sustainable development is that “it is likely to achieve lasting satisfaction of human needs and improvement of human life” – (Robert Allen – How to save the world) Sustainable development has also been de-fined as development that “should meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future gen-erations to meet their own needs” – (Edward Narzior – Economics, Natural Resources scarcity and Development).

So we define sustainable development as a new development which treats all living beings equally and where its capital as well as natural wealth equally among the present and future generations, maximizing the wellbeing and happiness of humankind. Ecologically, it would be the new development which would preserve the dynamic equilibrium of the planet while enhancing ecosystem diversity.

This kind of development cannot be achieved locally or nationally. Whether we like it or not, greedy people inte-grate our civilization. Therefore, we need to reach world consensus on development and take practical steps to ensure a smooth transition from present development to sustainable development. Intermediate or interim struc-tures are needed to effectively implement this kind of transformation.

The new paradigm should be based on new ideology. Humanity, while preserving its identity, is an integral part of the environment and cannot be separated from it. Ideas such as humanity being able to ‘conquer’ the planet or that it is ecologically ‘superior’ to other forms of life; should be abandoned. That type of thinking makes humans the ‘cancer’ of the environment.

Global ecosystems are like self-sustaining organisms. They include biotic forms as well as abiotic components like water, atmospheric gases etc., and the different components of the ecosystem interact with each other. They undergo changes depending on their role in the ecosystem. Relationships and relational reality exist. This kind of holistic approach is needed to evolve the new sustainable development.

Sustainable development is constructed on three pillars, based on green consciousness:

1. Green Economy 2. Green Governance 3. Green Culture and Society

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SHIFT PARADIGM

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Green Economy can be defined in terms of a “triple bottom line,” an economy concerned with being:

1. Environmentally sustainable, based on the belief that our biosphere is a closed system with finite resources and a limited capacity for self-regulation and self-renewal. We depend on the earth’s natural resources, and there-fore we must create an economic system that respects the integrity of ecosystems and ensures the resilience of life supporting systems.

2. Socially just, based on the belief that culture and human dignity are precious resources that, like our natural resources, require responsible stewardship to avoid their depletion. We must create a vibrant economic system that ensures all people have access to a decent standard of living and full opportunities for personal and social development.

3. Locally rooted, based on the belief that an authentic connection to place is the essential pre-condition to sustainability and justice. The Green Economy is a global aggregate of individual communities meeting the needs of its citizens through the responsible, local production and exchange of goods and services.

Thus a Green Economy is an economy or economic development model based on sustainable development and a knowledge of ecological economics. Its most distinguishing feature from prior economic regimes is direct valua-tion of natural capital and ecological services as having economics value and a full cost accounting regime in which costs externalized onto society via ecosystems are reliably traced back to, and accounted for as liabilities of, the entity that does the harm or neglects an asset.

Green Governance means that democracy should be practiced having due regard for the aspirations of other living beings and future generations – those who do not have a vote. So the democratic values should be extended to represent these unrepresented group’s rights as well.

Everything cannot be controlled in monetary terms. Thus, a strong legal framework should be introduced to ef-fectively curtail the excessive use of resources and the environment by both individuals and nations. International conventions, protocols and national constitutions should reflect a new Human Rights Charter and a Living Rights Charter, based on environmental justice. For instance, the carbon footprint and ecological index should be recog-nized as a measure of human rights.

Green Culture and Society includes a few important features. 1. Green technology and green knowledge systems. 2. Cultural diversity based upon a simple life pattern. Extreme poverty and extreme affluence should be eliminated – no more meta-narratives and mega cultural patterns. Equity and diversity should be the guiding principles. 3. Each religion and ethnic custom should be given new meaning so that people could happily live in harmony with nature. Any ideology which preaches otherwise should be suppressed. Legal punishment is a deter rent, but to achieve a long-lasting solution, human beings themselves should voluntarily exercise self-con trol and change their behavioral patterns for the sake of future generations.

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