Dilmah Conservation was initiated to incorporate environmental conservation efforts into the MJF Charitable Foundation, which focuses on social justice. Dilmah is governed by a set of core values which govern the principles of business today, as it did at the inception of the company, making it a truly ethical brand. These core values dictates that a tenth of profits made by Dilmah tea companies be directed towards community and social upliftment programmes carried out by the MJF Charitable Foundation. With the establishment of Dilmah Conservation, these resources are now shared, and are being utilised for environmental conservation efforts carried out by Dilmah Conservation.
Dilmah Conservation is an extension of the Dilmah commitment to making business a matter of human service. Established in 2007, Dilmah Conservation is working towards a more sustainable use of the environment in partnership with IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Dilmah Conservation initiatives aim to foster respect for the environment and ensure its protection by encouraging harmonious coexistence between man and nature. We at Dilmah believe that, every individual and business has an obligation to ensure that a sustainable interaction with the environment is maintained at all times.
On 27th July 2010, the Dilmah family was joined by over 100 Dilmah partners from around the world in making a declaration. It read, “Dilmah owes its success to the quality of Ceylon Tea. Our business was founded therefore on an enduring connection to the land and the communities in which we operate. We have pioneered a comprehensive commitment to minimising our impact on the planet, fostering respect for the environment and ensuring its protection by encouraging a harmonious coexistence of man and nature. We believe that conservation is ultimately about people and the future of the human race, that efforts in conservation have associated human well-being and poverty reduction outcomes. These core values allow us to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations of sustainability.”
At the beginning, the efforts of Dilmah Conservation primarily focused on protecting the Asian Elephant. The Elephant Transit Home and Elephant Resource Centre in Udawalawe, the Minneriya-Kaudulla Project on Asian Elephant Social Behaviour and Habitat Requirements are some of the outcomes of these initiatives. At present Dilmah Conservation works on a variety initiatives that include a Marine and Terrestrial Habitat and Species Conservation Programme concentrating on the North and East of Sri Lanka, programmes designed to help make indigenous communities sustainable, ecosystem restoration, promoting sustainable agriculture, protection of biodiversity and environmental education.
Objectives
- A key objective of Dilmah Conservation and one which governs all social efforts of Dilmah is that there is a humanitarian approach in all projects that are embarked on. Therefore each endeavour of Dilmah Conservation seeks to combine environmental conservation with livelihood development through environmentally sustainable operations.
- To minimise environmental impacts of Dilmah tea companies and to take it a step further through concerted environmental conservation projects.
- To ensure that all efforts of Dilmah Conservation are carried out in a holistic manner which are directed towards the long-term rather than ad hoc measures that create short-term gains would eventually become detrimental to the wellbeing of the environment. Moreover, all efforts of Dilmah Conservation would be carried out in a manner which will enable sustainability and replication.
- To create awareness that will lead to the eventual elimination of conflicts between man and beast as it is a dominant setback faced in conservation efforts.
- To utilise the full strength of marketing tools available with Dilmah, which includes a market reach of nearly 100 countries, to create awareness and promote an interest in conservation among the general public.
