Community-centered design perspectives on rubber latex harvesting among smallholders in Kegalle district, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka’s rubber industry has long played a vital role in the nation’s agricultural economy, supporting export revenue, industrial growth, and rural livelihoods. Established in the late nineteenth century, the industry evolved through colonial plantation systems and today remains heavily dependent on smallholder farmers (Tillekeratne et al., 2003). However, despite its historical and economic importance, the industry is facing a critical period of decline driven by labour shortages, low productivity, yet smallholders have sustained within this rubber latex harvesting, contributing over 75% of Sri Lanka’s total natural rubber output, particularly concentrated in the Kegalle, Kalutara, and Ratnapura districts (Premasiri et al., 2017) (Navaratnarajan, 2024). These farmers rely primarily on traditional tools and manual practices that have changed little over generations, yet modified to sustain day-to-day requirements. The tapping knives and coconut shell cups reflect the current practices that have evolved since its original introduction of rubber cultivation by the colonizer. With the changing times, such practices had affected the harvest and are unable to contribute to the economy as in earlier times. This reduction of profits had threatened to sustain farmers and the elder generation of farmers, we are losing their skill and knowledge in the traditional farming technique. Therefore, by understanding the communities, especially the elder generation’s tacit knowledge on the harvesting process and the use of tools, it is possible to gain new insight toward new innovative techniques. Therefore, this research focuses on gaining knowledge of these farmer communities with the objective of gaining insights towards design innovation. Tacit knowledge is personal, experience-based knowledge that is difficult to express or document. It is developed through practice, observation, and interaction, and is rooted in an individual’s values, skills, and insights (Josephine Oranga, 2023). As Polanyi, (1967) noted, “we can know more than we can tell,” emphasizing its unspoken nature. Tacit knowledge promotes learning, problem-solving, and innovation, and when effectively shared, it helps create new knowledge and supports sustainable development and competitive advantage (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995; Leonardi & Treem, 2012). Sri Lanka’s rubber industry which began in 1876 with plantations at Henaratgoda Garden and the establishment of the Rubber Research Institute in 1920, has grown into a major producer of high-quality rubber products such as tires, gloves, and industrial goods for export (Tillekeratne et al., 2003). The rubber latex harvesting process involves three main stages: tapping, collecting, and transporting (Stankevitz et al., 2016).