Assessing the impact of eco-innovations through sustainability indicators: the case of the commercial tea plantation industry in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Innovative processes aimed at sustainable development or eco-innovations have received increasing attention during the past years despite the lack of theoretical and methodological approaches to analyzing their impact. This paper focuses on how sustainability indicators can be used to measure the effects of "non-technical" ecoinnovations in the Sri Lankan tea plantation sector. After carrying out an experimental case study on a commercial tea plantation, we employed a combination of physical and monetary sustainability indicators to evaluate the initial results of the ecoinnovation. It shows that innovations aimed at improving economic benefits often result in unintentional environmental and social benefits that support a lean-green relationship. It reveals the difficulty in having a standardized set of indicators to measure the impact of eco-innovations owing to the multidimensionality of sustainability. Hence, the case study suggests adopting broad sustainability indicators that represent the wholeness of the system while capturing the long-term impact.

Institutional pressures for corporate biodiversity management practices in the plantation sector: Evidence from the tea industry in Sri Lanka

“…However, the establishment of plantations in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka led to massive deforestation of the pristine mountain forests that had evolved over millions of years and that were also rich in biodiversity. Over the last 150 years, the tea industry in Sri Lanka has earned a global reputation for producing high-quality 'Ceylon tea' while playing a vital role in the Sri Lankan economy (Gunarathne & Peiris, 2017). Tea accounted for 12.2% of the total exports in 2018 (Central Bank of Sri Lanka [CBSL], 2019), and the industry employed more than one million people.…”

“…The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka are home to three UNESCO World Heritage‐listed natural forest ranges, which are the only remaining areas of the country's submontane and montane rain forests (Peiris & Gunarathne, 2022). Second, due to its export‐oriented nature, the tea industry in Sri Lanka is susceptible to the world market and, therefore, highly influenced by the latest consumer trends and other institutional pressures (Gunarathne & Peiris, 2017). Further, compared to other tea producing countries globally, tea plantation companies in Sri Lanka exhibit a high level of socially responsible behaviour patterns developed over a century (Hilal & Mubarak, 2013).…”

Agriculture without paraquat is feasible without loss of productivity—lessons learned from phasing out a highly hazardous herbicide

“…This technique has been monitored for cost-benefits and found to not only reduce fertilizer and labor costs but to also increase yields (possibly by reducing the phytotoxic effects of chemical herbicides on the tea plant). HFIWM advantages include gains from mulching and composting, as well as achieving several other sustainability indicators (Gunarathne and Peiris 2017 ; Peiris 2016 ). Facilitated through support from both the public and private sector, including the Rainforest Alliance, the uptake of herbicide-free weed management is growing in Sri Lanka, already with an estimated 15,000 farmers trained in the technology (ASLM 2022 ).…”