Securing a Sustainable Supply Base: How plenty foods grew 30% on year and improved the earnings and livelihoods of the rural poor in Sri Lanka

Overview

Plenty Foods (Pvt) Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ceylon Biscuits Ltd which trades, processes, and markets a range of fast-moving agricultural products. Plenty Foods has an annual turnover of approximately US$1.8m, with 85 percent of its revenue coming from domestic sales and the remainder from exports to Asia and the Middle East. It operates through a network of 10,000 rural farmers, 106 company-appointed distributors and retail market outlets within Sri Lanka, selling a large proportion of its products back into local communities. In partnership with the government, other companies, Oxfam GB, as well as farmer organisations, Plenty Foods is building a high quality and reliable supply base while providing market-based livelihood opportunities for small farmers. Plenty Foods’ main product lines have been developed to serve nutritional needs that are particularly relevant to rural and poor communities. The company has thus built brand loyalty amongst farmers who constitute their supply base as well as a major part of their market.