Image: Hayleys Plantations Managing Director, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai
Kelani Valley Plantations PLC (KVPL) secured the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award in Agriculture at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards (BCCSA).
The prestigious honour cements KVPL’s status as one of the country’s most respected pioneers in the field of sustainable and ethical plantations management. Hayleys Plantations Managing Director, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai believes that the company’s latest accolades will also help to establish Hayleys Plantations as a case study of exceptional corporate stewardship within the nation’s agricultural sector, at a time when sustainable innovation is the urgent need of the hour.
“We are honoured to have been granted such prestigious recognition. I express my gratitude to the entire team, without whom such an achievement would not be possible.
“Sustainability is a way of life at Hayleys Plantations, and over the years, our entire team has worked tirelessly to incorporate environmental best practices into every aspect of our operations in a real and meaningful way, while investing in our employees and their communities. Having collated our experience in sustainability, we stand tall as a veteran, ready to collaborate, and help formulate a blueprint for a more sustainable future for the entire Plantations sector,” Dr. Rajadurai stated.
Celebrating its 30th year of operations in 2022, Hayleys Plantations has been at the forefront of a progressive transformation in the plantation sector. Elaborating on the unique expertise developed by Hayleys Kelani Valley Plantations Director/ CEO, Anura Weerakoon said: “For three decades, KVPL has invested, experimented, and innovated an entirely new approach to plantations management. Today, we stand ready to share all of the hard-earned, in-depth knowledge that we have gained with all stakeholders to Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector.
“By adopting a total systems management approach that incorporates sustainability into every aspect of the business, and focusing on excellence in management of people, environment and finance, we are building accountability and trust with our business partners, and the communities we touch, so that together, we can chart more sustainable trajectory for our nation and its citizens.”
KVPL Director/CEO, Anura Weerakoon (second from left) accepts the certificate from CCC Secretary General and CEO Manjula De Silva (third from left), as CCC Board Member Ashoka Peiris (third from right) presents Hayleys Plantations Managing Director, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai (second from right) the award with KVPL General Manager- HR, Anuruddha Gamage (far left) and KVPL Assistant Accountant, Shehan Anupama (far right)
KVPL was the first plantations company in the world to commit to the globally-recognised Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) aimed at reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The Company has also won global recognition for its pioneering efforts in sustainable plantations, after being declared Winner of the Large Scale- Agriculture and Plantations Category at the Business World Excellence Awards 2020, organised by the Business World International Organization Ltd. USA.
Kelani Valley Plantations is also known for its unique “A Home for Every Plantation Worker” programme, supporting the wellbeing of 58,000 people including its workforce and surrounding communities, for the benefit of the plantation workforce.
A centerpiece of the Sri Lankan economy, the Hayleys Group maintains a global presence across five regions with business interests spanning a total of 16 diverse sectors. Accounting for USD 600 million of the country’s foreign earnings and 4.2% of the nation’s total export income, Hayleys is a champion of sustainable innovation, and represents one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent success stories.
