Field Trip – Rambukkana | Nyéléni Global Forum 2025

The argument of the commercial empires promoting large-scale industrial plantations is that it is impractical and unprofitable to carry out market-oriented, environmentally friendly sustainable farming on a large scale. To provide practical experience to dispel this argument, a field trip was conducted on 12.09.2025 at Rambukkana Forest Garden Organic for the delegates participating in the Third Nyéléni Summit to learn about the forest gardening system in Sri Lanka. This farm, which has a 25-acre forest garden and a 5-acre organic paddy field built based on the concept of forest garden farming. It produces coconuts, vegetables, fruits, spices and rice under this forest gardening system.

This entire farm, which uses modern machinery to add value to all products and send them to the market, operates on the basis of recycling farm materials and minimal use of external inputs.

It produces its own liquid fertilizer and effective microorganisms from six cows and uses them to fertilize the farm. This entire cultivation is completely free from chemical use and also plays a great role in biodiversity conservation. It is also special that the seeds required for the farm are produced on the farm itself, following traditional seed conservation methods.

About 45 international representatives interested in agroecology joined this field trip and improved their knowledge by asking questions about forest garden farming with great interest.

It is also special that tea and lunch were prepared for the attendees using the farm’s harvest. The farm produces its own seeds, and attendees had the opportunity to experience traditional seed preservation and food preparation techniques in a Sri Lankan village kitchen, which was used for cooking food as well as seed preservation.