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"But the underlying reason for the fall of Sri Lanka is that its leaders fell under the spell of Western green elites peddling organic agriculture" This articl

"But the underlying reason for the fall of Sri Lanka is that its leaders fell under the spell of Western green elites peddling organic agriculture" This article feels to me like the author has an axe to grind ("green elites") so I did a quick check: Shellenberger's positions and writings on climate change and environmentalism have been called "bad science" and "inaccurate" by environmental scientists and academics, while receiving praise from writers and journalists in the popular press, including conservative news outlets and organizations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shellenberger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shellenberger The BBC has a different take: When Sri Lanka's foreign currency shortages became a serious problem in early 2021, the government tried to limit them by banning imports of chemical fertilizer. It told farmers to use locally sourced organic fertilizers instead. This led to widespread crop failure. Sri Lanka had to supplement its food stocks from abroad, which made its foreign currency shortage even worse. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-61028138 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-61028138

jeffbee 4y ago
Yes he's a well-known opportunistic axe-grinder. After being a long-time climate change denier and getting completely wrecked in the 2018 California primary election as a Democrat he switched tactics to get a little more free publicity from Fox News etc by being a San Francisco hater, got utterly wrecked a second time in the 2022 California primary election, and has dropped the SF angle and gone back to being a profession skeptic of all things "green".
n4r9 4y ago
Interesting. I vaguely remember the ban on chemical fertiliser but wasn't aware of currency shortage as a cause. I did a bit of research as well, and some Sri Lankan are apparently laying blame at the feet of Vandana Shiva, a government advisor and environmental activist with a strong anti-GMO stance: https://navdanyainternational.org/sri-lankas-shift-towards-organic-farming/ https://navdanyainternational.org/sri-lankas-shift-towards-o... > On April 27, 2021, the Sri Lankan government decided to ban importing chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and to replace them with organic inputs and methods. This decision was supported by many, including the Global Alliance for Organic Districts, who petitioned for the President’s collaboration in order to include Sri Lanka to an international network of local organic districts. Sri Lanka’s shift towards organic farming was also heavily discussed by both local and foreign researchers and activists. On the 7th and 9th of June, Dr. Vandana Shiva, President of Navdanya International, took part in two online workshops on the Sri Lankan government’s project to go towards organic agriculture and ban agrochemicals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandana_Shiva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandana_Shiva >Shiva serves on Government of India Committees on Organic Farming. She participated in the Stock Exchange of Visions project in 2007.[22] >In 2021, she advised the government of Sri Lanka to ban inorganic fertilizers and pesticides[23][24] stating "This decision will definitely help farmers become more prosperous. Use of organic fertilizer will help provide agri products rich with nutrients while retaining the fertility of the land."[25] The policy caused a crisis with a significant reduction of farming output in several sectors, hitting the tea industry in particular[26][27][28] and reducing rice yields were by one third.[25] The ban was overturned seven months later.[24] Not exactly "Western green elites" but it may be that a strand of pseudoscientific environmentalism played a part.

jeffbee 4y ago

Yes he's a well-known opportunistic axe-grinder. After being a long-time climate change denier and getting completely wrecked in the 2018 California primary election as a Democrat he switched tactics to get a little more free publicity from Fox News etc by being a San Francisco hater, got utterly wrecked a second time in the 2022 California primary election, and has dropped the SF angle and gone back to being a profession skeptic of all things "green".

n4r9 4y ago

Interesting. I vaguely remember the ban on chemical fertiliser but wasn't aware of currency shortage as a cause. I did a bit of research as well, and some Sri Lankan are apparently laying blame at the feet of Vandana Shiva, a government advisor and environmental activist with a strong anti-GMO stance: https://navdanyainternational.org/sri-lankas-shift-towards-organic-farming/ https://navdanyainternational.org/sri-lankas-shift-towards-o... > On April 27, 2021, the Sri Lankan government decided to ban importing chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and to replace them with organic inputs and methods. This decision was supported by many, including the Global Alliance for Organic Districts, who petitioned for the President’s collaboration in order to include Sri Lanka to an international network of local organic districts. Sri Lanka’s shift towards organic farming was also heavily discussed by both local and foreign researchers and activists. On the 7th and 9th of June, Dr. Vandana Shiva, President of Navdanya International, took part in two online workshops on the Sri Lankan government’s project to go towards organic agriculture and ban agrochemicals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandana_Shiva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandana_Shiva >Shiva serves on Government of India Committees on Organic Farming. She participated in the Stock Exchange of Visions project in 2007.[22] >In 2021, she advised the government of Sri Lanka to ban inorganic fertilizers and pesticides[23][24] stating "This decision will definitely help farmers become more prosperous. Use of organic fertilizer will help provide agri products rich with nutrients while retaining the fertility of the land."[25] The policy caused a crisis with a significant reduction of farming output in several sectors, hitting the tea industry in particular[26][27][28] and reducing rice yields were by one third.[25] The ban was overturned seven months later.[24] Not exactly "Western green elites" but it may be that a strand of pseudoscientific environmentalism played a part.