By Aleena Malik, Jack Forte, and Megan Smith, 11 January 2023
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
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Sri Lanka’s overnight transition to organic
agriculture reflects the dangers of policymaking that takes place through
isolated government processes.
> Deepening the connection between the government and its citizen stakeholders is an important lever of transformation in delivering sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition.
Achieving SDG 2 (zero hunger) requires transforming food systems. Governments around the world have attempted to do just this, with varying levels of success. According to the Climate Policy Initiative, small-scale farmers represent 95% of the world’s farms. These farmers are key stakeholders in the transformation of food systems as they are the primary actors implementing policy through their daily activities, and any policy is only as good as its implementation.
Sri Lanka’s overnight transition to organic agriculture reflects the dangers of policymaking that takes place through isolated government processes.
In Spring 2021, then President Rajapaksa banned synthetic agrochemical imports, including fertilizer and pesticides, forcing Sri Lanka’s farmers to transition to organic farming.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), “organic agriculture reduces non-renewable energy use by decreasing agrochemical needs (these require high quantities of fossil fuel to be produced). Organic agriculture contributes to mitigating the greenhouse effect and global warming through its ability to sequester carbon in the soil.” The former President’s decision to ban agrochemicals sought to increase public and ecological soil health.
Despite ecological benefits, Sri Lanka and its farmers are grappling with adverse impacts of transitioning to organic agriculture. Following the transition, farmers did not have sufficient natural fertilizers and pesticides to support satisfactory agricultural yields.
The sudden policy shift decreased crop yields in the country. Rice, Sri Lanka’s dietary staple, saw average yields cut by nearly 30%. Coupled with ongoing economic challenges in the country, the decrease in food supply and soaring food inflation present a “crisis [with] serious consequences particularly for food security, agriculture, livelihoods, and access to health, protection and education.”
While an FAO survey revealed that most farmers were open to the transition, and the administration also expected an initial hit, it also showed that the training of farmers on how to shift from chemical to organic-based agriculture was not extensive. Essential technical components, such as land preparation and organic fertilizer application schemes, were not included in the training.
Drawing from collectivization in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and Tanzania’s villagization plans, James C. Scott analyzes failed cases of large-scale development plans in his book titled, ‘Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition have Failed.’ He argues the success of such plans relies on the understanding that local, practical knowledge is as important as formal bureaucratic knowledge.
While transition to organic farming alone might not be responsible for food security concerns in Sri Lanka, it should have been conducted in consultation with Sri Lanka’s smallholder farmers, to identify their challenges and needs. Inclusive governance is a lesson that should inform future policymaking not only in Sri Lanka, but globally as well.
Achieving SDG targets 2.3 and 2.4 surrounding sustainable increases to agricultural output by smallholder farmers necessitates the mitigation of trade-offs. By 2050, the world’s population will grow to ten billion, and “business as usual” would require 593 million hectares of forest cleared for agriculture and put us at 11 gigatons (Gt) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the limit needed to cap global temperature increases below 2°C. Governments must take measures to increase production without clearing such large swathes of land and emitting GHGs beyond tipping-point levels. Unfortunately, this risks an inequitable share of government support going towards environmental outcomes and risk management tools at the expense of price support for farmers, decoupling support from production – a trend that has been forming for about 20 years.
How do we navigate this complicated web of trade-offs and maximize co-benefits? Good governance. Governments should identify key actors for policy implementation, meaningfully consult with them, and support them through the policy transition. Sustainable agricultural policies must protect the rights of all stakeholders, including smallholder farmers, women, Indigenous communities, and consumers.
Deepening the connection between the government and its citizen stakeholders is an important lever of transformation in delivering sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition. The departure from business-as-usual is a move towards sustainable development to minimize the environmental and social trade-offs of innovation in all sectors. Therefore, policy implementation must be rooted in supporting the livelihoods of all stakeholders. Collaboration is essential for achieving the transformation to achieve SDG 2 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Aleena Malik is a graduate candidate in International Affairs at The George Washington University. Jack Forte is a graduate candidate in International Development Studies at The George Washington University. Megan Smith is a graduate candidate in Public Administration at The George Washington University.
(Sources: International Institution for Sustainable Development)
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