An anthropological study on impact of present modernization for the obsolescence of craftsmanship of coconut leaf food canisters (with special reference to Kottawa/South Grama Niladhari Division)

Abstract

Adopting modern methods, tools, and social structures to advance general development, to raise living standards, and to boost economic growth may be referred to as modernization. When finding ways to live and use resources in a manner that ensures a balanced and healthy world for both current and future generations, using coconut leaves for food canisters has a potential in its own small way to be a sustainable option, which aligns with the principles of eco-friendly and biodegradable packaging. Coconut leaves can be identified as a raw material which is readily available and a renewable source in many tropical regions which has been utilized by various communities for centuries to create functional and artistic objects. The study carried out in Kottawa South Grama Niladhari Division in Sri Lanka where the traditional technique of making coconut leaf food canisters has become obsolesced in favor of plastic and polyethylene canisters. Investigating into the traditional techniques and identifying the sustainability and the eco-friendliness of coconut leaf canisters were the general objectives of the study while assessing the economic significance and cultural preservation were the specific objectives. The informants were identified through the snowball method. The craftsmanship prevailed mostly among women. Only twenty women could be identified as who have been making coconut leaf food canisters and that too was for their personal consumption rather than for selling. The scarcity of raw materials, the ageing of the women who know the craft, and the reluctance of the younger generation to learn and practice traditional techniques of making coconut leaf canisters were identified as the reasons for the decline of the industry. The women declared that they use coconut leaves after boiling them not only to make food containers, but also mats, and door mats for home use. Since there is an awareness in the importance of the use of eco-friendly utensils instead of polythene and plastics, which are harmful to humans as well as to the environment, the techniques of making such crafts have to remain at least as a little help to overcome economic difficulties of rural communities, empowering rural women in an eco-friendly manner.