Nestled in the verdant hills of Sabaragamuwa Province, the Community Development Centre (CDC) in Aranayake embodies principles that priorities food sovereignty as the cornerstone of community resilience. As you prepare for your site visit, you’ll be witnessing firsthand how grassroots communities can transform their relationship with food, land, and biodiversity while building economic independence.

People Before Profit: Community-Controlled Food Systems

The CDC’s work directly reflects the core principle that food systems should serve people, not corporations. Since 1996, under the leadership of Executive Director Damayanthi Godamulla, this organization has demonstrated how communities can reclaim control over their food systems by preserving indigenous knowledge and seeds. Their approach centers on women-led self-help groups managing community seed banks, a living example of how local communities can become the guardians of agricultural biodiversity.

Community Structures that Embody Food Sovereignty

The CDC’s organizational model reflects the principles of democratic participation and community control. Self-help groups are federated into cooperatives of five to six groups, each maintaining revolving credit funds that enable livelihood diversification without dependence on external financial institutions. This structure ensures that decisions about food production, processing, and marketing remain within the community.

Beyond Conservation: Building Resilient Food Systems

You’ll witness how the CDC has expanded from simple conservation to creating a comprehensive food system.
Their 12 new yam-based products—from chips to sweets to roti—demonstrate how communities can add value to traditional crops while maintaining cultural authenticity. The establishment of community-managed drying centers shows how appropriate technology can serve local needs rather than displacing local knowledge.

A Model of Crisis Response and Community Solidarity

The CDC’s response during the 2016 Aranayake landslide disaster illustrates how food sovereign communities
build resilience beyond agriculture. Damayanthi Godamulla’s coordination of relief efforts, working across
religious and ethnic lines, demonstrates the social cohesion that emerges when communities control their own
development processes.

The CDC offers more than conservation—it presents a living laboratory of food sovereignty where community
agency, women’s leadership, ecological wisdom, and economic justice converge. Your visit will provide concrete examples of how the abstract principles of food sovereignty manifest in daily practice, offering insights that can inform food sovereignty movements worldwide.

• DATE : 12th of September 2025
• STARTING TIME : 7.30 AM
• DISTANCE FROM NICD: 40km
• TRAVELLING TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Maximum number of participants is 50
• Breakfast will be provided at NICD or hotel
• Lunch will be provided on the site, local food and fruits will be provided by the community.