By Dawn Lee –
Dawn Lee
Climate change impacts are felt cross the globe, and one of the key sectors that is impacted from climate change is agriculture. While the adverse impacts such as lack of rain, change of monsoon patterns, sudden floods, and droughts create losses and damage to the agriculture sector, the sector does also contribute to the increase of green house gas emissions through the use of chemical fertiliser. In order to address this issue, and adapt to climate change, there is a great need to shift from chemical based agriculture to toxin free agriculture.
Adaptation and Agriculture
Professor Buddhi Marambe from the University of Peradeniya, Chair of the Expert Committee on Adaption said, “Adaptation is an important aspect when addressing climate change. In this agriculture plays a key role. When adapting, we also need to keep in mind sustainable development.”
“The recently launched national programme on Toxin Free Agriculture in Sri Lanka is a really good example of the country moving towards low-external input sustainable agriculture,” he said.
Toxin Free Agriculture Policy
Chairman of Strategic Enterprise Management Agency, Sri Lanka Mr. Asoka Abeygunawardena, highlighted the transformative impact of policy and the importance of getting it right for sustainable agriculture.
“This is a three year programme which seeks to address the food security issue, as well as the toxin based agriculture issues in Sri Lanka. The farmers are provided awareness creation, and capacity building as well as resources to change from toxin based agriculture to organic and healthy agriculture.”
He further added, “Organic farmers no longer miss out on subsidies that were available to other farmers who use chemical fertilisers. They get subsidies too, and a guaranteed price per kilo for toxin-free traditional seed varieties,” he said, on efforts to increase organic and toxin-free production in the country.
Focusing on National & International Level
Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for Climate Action Network South Asia, Ms. Vositha Wijenayake said, “Now, more than ever, there exists the will to change and the understanding of why there is a need to shift from toxin based, emission increasing agriculture to climate friendly agriculture. Last year’s universal adoption of the development and climate change agendas supports this. What we need to do is to ensure that this momentum is harnessed for change that is inclusive, equitable and sustainable.”
SLYCAN Trust Programme Coordinator, Mr. Kavindu Ediriweera presented the case study of a project in the border villages of the war period in Trincomalee district that focuses on capacity building. The project hopes to direct the village inhabitants sheer courage towards transforming mainstream, toxin-based agriculture into more a sustainable alternative.
jim softy / May 9, 2016
this toxin-free agriculture, is it just propaganda or it is really being practiced now ?
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jim softy / May 9, 2016
People write articles. ALL THEORY AND IDEOLOGY.
No one writes the real progress.
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Edward / May 9, 2016
There is no free -lunch, nd there is no toxin free agriculture.
As some professor wrote here in these very columns, organic fertilizers have as much toxins, especially metal toxins because compost is made by re-cycling plants, and plants (not having kidneys) accumulate these toxins in them. That is why lotus root and many other vegetables and foods should be avoided.
A lot of so called “organic fertilizer” is imported from India, and contain Neem shells and leaves which contain a lot of bio-accumulated poisons. But need shells and leaves are added ebcause people think Neem gives “protection”. Ned tree is a captain for bio-aaccumulation. So suing it is like using a dirty rag thinking it is clean. Also, in India, and increasingly in many places, the “compost” is made from urban waste which is full of all the kerosine, diesel, old paint, electronic rejects, old batteries etc -you name it.
It is more dangerous to our health than eating Koththu in Mariya-kadde.
So the government is just playing politics, It has no money to import fertilizer, and so it says, “go organic”, make your own compost, and create a “Toxin-free future”. The claim is made that the synthetic fertilizers are full of toxin. It stands to reason that, given the high density of human beings very where in the Island, most compost will be polluted due to human activity.
So the synthetic fertilizer, made from atmospheric nitrogen, and rock phosphate minded from the ground, is free of most of the petro-chemical toxins, pharmaceutical drugs coming from human waste, and other urban pollution. But the country cannot afford it due to the economic crisis created by the Sirisena government which promised hand out that it cannot afford, just to get into power.
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