Agromart’s history reflects a focused commitment to empowering individuals, particularly women, through economic and social development. From its early years, Agromart concentrated on women’s empowerment and leadership by providing loan facilities and livelihood support to help women improve their financial stability and quality of life.
Agromart made history by creating pathways for talented women from rural communities to become successful entrepreneurs, community leaders, leaders within women’s chambers, and active traders within their villages.
Many beneficiaries came from diverse traditional and emerging industries. These included women engaged in Beeralu lace-making, a traditional and highly specialized bobbin lace craft practiced predominantly by women, as well as batik and fabric artisans involved in tie-and-dye production. Other participants included producers of consumer food products, such as ready-to-eat dry foods made from surplus or excess harvests of fruits and vegetables, young fashion designers and bridal wear specialists, and women involved in horticulture.
These initiatives were implemented on a large scale across ten districts. The Agromart Annual Fair became a pioneering platform for women entrepreneurs, showcasing production-based enterprises through district-level events held annually and national-level fairs conducted biannually.
Following livelihood training programs, many members of Agromart Production Societies received microcredit facilities to start and expand their businesses. Examples include mushroom cultivation societies, dry fish enterprise groups, handicraft producers, and Beeralu weaving organizations. Agromart supported these groups across ten districts by providing community-based financial assistance with low-interest benefits to strengthen sustainable livelihoods.
Agromart Foundation – Present Direction
Today, Agromart explores the untapped nutritional value of Sri Lankan rice varieties and other agricultural products, highlighting the positive impact of seasonal and year-round cultivation diversity.
Agromart aligns its work with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, contributing toward achieving food security and sustainable agriculture by 2030.
Sri Lanka is recognized as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and possesses one of the highest levels of biodiversity per unit area among Asian countries. Rice, the staple food of Sri Lanka, has gained global recognition due to the nutritional value of traditional varieties cultivated in local soils.
Agriculture remains a primary source of national income. However, recognition and sustainability within the sector have been challenged by limited awareness, inadequate practices, and insufficient coordination among stakeholders, particularly at the farmer level.
Over time, Agromart recognized the need for a reality check — moving closer to fields, farmers, and production centers to better understand ground realities.
With 37 years of experience, the Agromart Outreach Foundation has adopted a holistic development approach. Unlike earlier individual-focused interventions, the organization now emphasizes collective progress through trade and product societies. The focus has shifted from supporting individual farmers or entrepreneurs to strengthening families, communities, and production networks.
With 37 years of experience, the Agromart Outreach Foundation has adopted a holistic development approach. Unlike earlier individual-focused interventions, the organization now emphasizes collective progress through trade and product societies. The focus has shifted from supporting individual farmers or entrepreneurs to strengthening families, communities, and production networks.
The goal is not only livelihood improvement but also the creation of entrepreneurs capable of expanding businesses across provinces and nationally, generating employment opportunities for others.
Agromart’s New Approach
Agromart’s new direction emphasizes:
- Enhancing and updating skills and competitiveness
- Expanding knowledge and capacity building
- Integrating new technologies
- Improving productivity and quality standards compliance
- Strengthening market access and financial management skills
A key priority is increasing women’s participation in the national economy and contributing to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at both district and provincial levels.
Holistic Entrepreneurship Approach
Agromart’s holistic approach recognizes that entrepreneurship involves interconnected elements within a business ecosystem. Whether a business is small, medium, or a startup, success depends not only on financial performance but also on broader impacts on society, the environment, and stakeholder well-being.
All these factors are essential to sustainable development.
Agromart works to introduce this concept to its beneficiaries, helping them understand how adopting a holistic approach can strengthen their businesses and improve long-term outcomes.