The rubber industry took hold in Sri Lanka more than 125 years ago, when the island was still known as Ceylon and was still ruled by the British. Rubber remains a driving force for the country’s economy; 300,000 Sri Lankans are dependent on it. Latex crepe, created in Sri Lanka to be used for the manufacture of clear adhesives and light-colored articles, is considered the “champagne” of natural rubber and has historically fared well in international markets. But over the years, demand shifted to synthetics, depressing prices. Producers’ failure to market latex crepe imaginatively and with a clear understanding of end-user needs only compounded the problem. Among the hardest hit were smallholder growers, who contribute more than 60 percent of Sri Lanka’s average production of 110,000 tons of rubber a year.