New Anthoney’s Farms has taken Sri Lanka’s poultry industry to a global sustainability stage after being recognised among sustainability leaders at Soy Connext 2026 in Chicago, highlighting four decades of investment in responsible sourcing, food safety and antibiotic-free production.
New Anthoney’s Farms earns global recognition for sustainable sourcing and responsible poultry production
The recognition, presented during the global U.S. Soy summit organised by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), places the Sri Lankan poultry producer alongside sustainability-focused agribusinesses from markets including the Americas, Greater China and Southeast Asia. The 2026 summit attracted more than 800 delegates, according to information released around the event.
For New Anthoney’s Farms, the recognition represents the latest step in a sustainability strategy that has developed over decades rather than a recent branding exercise. The company, incorporated in 1986, has built its business around food safety, responsible production and a long-standing commitment to producing poultry without antibiotics and hormones.
A major milestone came in 2023, when New Anthoney’s Farms secured the right to use the Sustainable U.S. Soy label. The company describes itself as the first organisation in South Asia and the Sub-Saharan Africa region to achieve the distinction, while its use of the label has become an important component of its approach to traceable and responsible feed sourcing.
The connection between sustainable feed and poultry production is particularly important for an industry where feed represents a significant part of the production chain. Through Anthoney’s Feeds, the group has developed an integrated feed operation supporting its poultry business, with the Sustainable U.S. Soy programme providing an externally recognised framework for responsible sourcing.
Sri Lanka itself has become an important market in the global soybean meal trade. The supplied industry data indicates that the country imported approximately 255,000 tonnes of containerised U.S. soybean meal in 2025, supporting an animal feed industry producing close to 1.3 million metric tonnes annually. Poultry remains the largest consumer of that feed.
That wider supply-chain connection gives the Chicago recognition significance beyond a single company. It demonstrates how sustainability standards applied at the farm and feed level can increasingly influence the competitiveness and international positioning of Sri Lankan food producers.
The company’s sustainability credentials also extend beyond feed. New Anthoney’s says it has adopted biodegradable packaging, greenhouse-gas verification and wastewater-management measures as part of its environmental approach. Its stated production practices also include the absence of antibiotics and hormones in feed and farming operations.
This focus has developed alongside the company’s expansion. What began in 1986 as a small poultry enterprise has grown into a broader food business with multiple product lines and an increasingly export-oriented strategy. The company says developing its export business is a key medium-term objective.
The year 2026 has added another milestone, as New Anthoney’s Farms marks its 40th anniversary. The anniversary has been accompanied by increased visibility at consumer and industry events, including the Healthy Living Expo in Colombo, where the company has continued to promote antibiotic-free poultry and food-safety standards.
Its domestic achievements have also strengthened its credentials. New Anthoney’s Farms was named Best Exporter in the Processed Food Category at the 26th Presidential Export Awards organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board. The company has also received recognition at major local food-industry events.
The international sustainability recognition comes at a time when food producers face increasing pressure to demonstrate how their products are made, rather than simply compete on price and availability. Traceability, responsible sourcing, environmental management and food safety are becoming increasingly important factors in global food markets.
For New Anthoney’s Farms, that shift aligns closely with a strategy established long before sustainability became a mainstream corporate priority. The company’s own history traces its origins to a commitment by its founders to produce healthier poultry for Sri Lankan families, with the business later expanding that philosophy into environmental and supply-chain initiatives.
The company’s next phase is also being supported by international development finance. According to the information provided, the International Finance Corporation has committed up to USD 10 million to support New Anthoney’s Farms Group’s expansion, including increased production capacity, supply-chain improvements and wider access to poultry.
The investment is expected to have implications beyond production volumes. Smallholder farmers currently contribute a significant share of the company’s production, while planned expansion is expected to create new employment and increase opportunities through contract-farming and outgrower arrangements.
That model is particularly relevant to Sri Lanka’s poultry sector, where smallholder farmers form a large part of the industry but face challenges related to productivity, market access and scale. Linking those producers to a more structured commercial value chain could help distribute the benefits of industry growth beyond the largest integrated producers.
Ultimately, the recognition at Soy Connext 2026 reflects a broader evolution in Sri Lanka’s agribusiness sector. New Anthoney’s Farms is no longer positioning sustainability simply as an environmental responsibility; it is increasingly treating it as part of product quality, consumer trust, supply-chain resilience and international competitiveness.
For a business that began as a small poultry operation four decades ago, that represents a significant change in scale. More importantly, it suggests that Sri Lankan food companies can build globally relevant standards from local foundations — and turn sustainability from a compliance requirement into a competitive advantage.