SPICE GARDENS LOCALLY ~FlNOVATEDFORESTRY INVESTMENTS AND THEIR ENTREPHENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

The entrepreneurial aspects associated with the Spice Gardens (SGs) are situation specific andemerged out of the traditional Kandyan Forest Gardens or Kandyan Homegardens. The cultural,environmental and economic concerns of the rural inhabitants, as reflected in these systems,have been accomplished through their own forestry innovations, and the mosaics of forestgardens are important areas in the cultural landscape of rural Sri Lanka. Although a completeevaluation of these systems is difficult to make due to their spatial variations, as a system oftourist attraction, the spice gardens located in main tourist corridors, in Kandy, Matale, Kegalleand Kurunegala districts in particular, should earn recognition as area of development options.This paper examines the traditional forestry practice; and local investments on spice gardens,and discusses their predominant characteristics ..uch as composition, structure, spatialarrangements, and management from the perspective",of entrepreneurial development. Primarydata were collected from 45 spice gardens through c field investigation based on a householdsurvey and field observations. Nearly 45% of the sampled gardens have been established as'Spice Gardens' in 1970s, and become popular with the expansion of tourist industry. In theprocess of promoting spice gardens, attention has been paid to aesthetic beauty whereregeneration has been controlled and selective nurturing has been introduced. Although acomplete transition from traditional homegardens S) stems to a new venture of spice gardens hasnot taken place, it has promoted a new model out of an old practice of home garden agroforestry.Inner-tracts, demonstrations, processing, and sales centres have been added to facilitate thetourists and cater for their needs.

In the process of development a well established mid and low canopy structure consisting ofpepper, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon mixec with medicinal plants in scattered treegardens are maintained. The management efforts are to maintain cultural, environmental andeconomic integrity and therefore, its interest on the marketability of the system and the nontimberproducts are noteworthy. The income derived from spice gardens is determined byvarious external factors, including location, accessibility, external linkages, popularity etc., butthe newly emerged entrepreneurial opportunities are captured by these systems as places forecotourism. The possible detrimental effects of over manipulation to the sustainability of thesystems are also discussed.