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Why did Sri Lanka’s organic farming dream fail? [audio]
- open-source-ux 4y agoFrom the programme description: > In 2021 the president of Sri Lanka announced a total ban on chemical fertilizer and pesticides. The country’s farms were going to go fully organic. > Sri Lanka is now in the worse economic crisis they have seen in decades and the government has reversed its ban on chemical fertilizer." --- Some key points from the programme: - Farming and related industries are vital to Sri Lanka's economy - 25% are employed in the agricultural industry. - Rice is the main staple. Before the current food crisis, Sri Lanka was self-sufficient in production: 10kg of rice per person every month. - Sri Lanka is also self-sufficient in vegetables, tropical fruits, coconut meat, eggs. Important exports include: tea, coconut, spices. Imports include: sugar, milk and wheat. - Chemical fertilisers are imported and subsidised by the government helping farmers produce high-yield crops. - The plan to switch to organic in 2021 was poorly planned. Synthetic fertilisers were banned and there was insufficient organic fertiliser to make up the shortfall. - The suddenly switch to organic farming required more land to match the food yields achieved with synthetic fertilisers. But more farming land is not available. - The premium-price of organic food suggests strong demand, but the reality is that organic food globally occupies a tiny minority of food products. The demand for organic produce has been overstated. - Sri Lanka is now importing staples like rice. Food prices have risen and rice consumption has fallen. - Reducing synthetic fertilisers rather than banning outright could have been a more realistic option - providing a gradual switch to some more organic output.