Dilani Hirimuthugodage Discusses the Geographical Indication System in Sri Lanka

6 September 2024

During a recent training and awareness workshop, Dilani Hirimuthugodage, a Research Economist at IPS, emphasised the significance of a Geographical Indication (GI) system in Sri Lanka’s socio-economic development. Speaking at a training and awareness workshop for agriculture officers in Kegalle, she explained the concept of GI, its legal framework in Sri Lanka, and its potential benefits for the country.

During her presentation, titled “Geographical Indication (GI) System in Sri Lanka,” Hirimuthugodage provided international examples to demonstrate the economic and social advantages of implementing a GI system. She also discussed the GI registration process, offering an update on the local GI application for ‘Ceylon Golden Pineapple,’ a product selected for certification from the districts of Kegalle, Gampaha, Colombo, Kalutara, and Kurunegala. This initiative is part of a Technical Cooperation Project by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) aimed at establishing a GI system in Sri Lanka.

The workshop, organised by the Development of Minor Export Crops Plantation Division of the Ministry of Plantation Industries, was held at the Provincial Agriculture Office in Kegalle and was attended by around sixty agriculture officers.