Agricultural Research for Sustainable Food Systems in Sri Lanka: Volume 1: A Historical Perspective

A food system comprises the entire range of actors and interlinked activities related to food production, processing, distribution, marketing and trade, preparation, consumption, and disposal. When a food system operates without compromising the needs of future generations, it is considered to be a "Sustainable Food System." The present-day food systems in Sri Lanka are diverse, and the natural and physical environment, infrastructure, institutions, society and culture, and policies and regulations within which the food systems operate, as well as the technologies employed, have shaped their outcomes.

Agricultural research is a key factor in terms of innovation and technological advances. Innovation has been the main driver of food systems' transformation over the past few decades and will be critical to addressing the needs of a rapidly growing population in a context of climate change and scarcity of natural resources. In addition, agricultural researchmust help meet the rising demand for food at affordable prices.

Comprising 17 chapters written by specialist(s) in their respective subject-areas, this Contributed Volume on "Agricultural Research for Sustainable Food Systems in Sri Lanka: A Historical Perspective" shares the scientific knowledge accumulated by the National Agricultural Research System of Sri Lanka, including universities, and offers recommendations on how to make food systems more sustainable in order to address the current needs of Sri Lankan society. It presents perspectives on four key thematic areas, namely: (i) Crop and animal production, management, and improvement, (ii) Agro-product processing technologies, (iii) Natural resource management, and (iv) Socio-economic development and agri-business management.

Dr. Buddhi Marambe is a Senior Professor at the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He received his B.Sc. (Agriculture) from the University of Peradeniya, and his M.Agr. and D.Agr. degrees (Plant Environmental Sciences) from Hiroshima University, Japan. His main research focuses are on Weed Science, Climate Change and Food Security. Prof. Marambe is currently the President of the Weed Science Society of Sri Lanka (WSSSL), Chairman of the National Invasive Species Specialist Group (NISSG) and Chairman of the National Experts Committee on Climate Change Adaptation (NECCCA). He has also served as a consultant on agriculture-related issues to the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF).

Dr. Jeevika Weerahewa is a Professor of Agricultural Economics at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Business Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She holds B.Sc. and M.Phil. degrees in Agriculture from the University of Peradeniya, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Guleph, Canada. Her primary research area is Agricultural Policy Analysis. She has served as president of the Sri Lankan Agricultural Economics Association, a Collaborator of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a Hewlett Fellow of the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium, and a Fellow of the Canadian Agricultural Trade Policy Research Network.

Dr. Warshi Dandeniya is a Senior Lecturer and presently the Head of the Department of Soil Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She received her B.Sc. and M.Phil. degrees in Agriculture from the University of Peradeniya, and her Ph.D. in Soil Science from Cornell University, USA. Her expertise is in soil microbial ecology, and her research work focuses on investigating the impacts of agricultural practices on soil biodiversity, and on improving nutrient management in cropping systems using microorganisms. Dr. Dandeniya is a member of the FAO/WHO Roster of Experts for Antimicrobial Resistance and a Young Affiliate of The World Academy of Science (TWAS). She is currently Vice-President of the Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka.