Is There a Hidden Agenda in Rejecting Organic Farming ?
Posted on September 14th, 2013

Ranil Senanayake

‚ It is tragic when proponents of industrial agriculture attempt to deceive us with subversive methods to defend the -Ëœdebt trap-â„¢ that our farmers have got into. Further, use of the LTTE bogey seems to be a new trick in the arsenal of the multi national agents to keep our farmers hooked onto using agro-toxins in their fields (Difficulties in reverting to traditional Agriculture, or adopting organic farming.‚  Island September 13, 2013,)
‚ One example of this,‚  is his bogus claim that the studies quoted as -Ëœinaccessible-â„¢ with out paying about -Ëœten pounds sterling-â„¢. The paper that was presented is on the web and accessible by anyone at anytime for free. (www.organicvalley.coop/fileadmin/pdf/organics_can_feed_world.pdf-½ ).‚  The paper also cites a host of other studies that demonstrate the efficacy of organic farming. It is this type of snide commentary that seems to be the hallmark of Mr. Bodhi Dhanapala-â„¢s writings.
Currently I am researching Myanmar farmers, who are producing the same or often higher rice crops using organic inputs. I have also begun the trials of these inputs here, as we all need to find ways by which we can move towards a cleaner agriculture. We do have our research plots in Sri Lanka and I have visited the fields of many organic farmers in Sri Lanka who have amply demonstrated the efficacy of organic farming in our context and are striving to get us out of the debt and poison trap. For an example see http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=80498‚ ‚ ‚  on the Mihimandala organic farm in Mirahawatte. What has Mr. Dhanapala done in this context may I ask?
Sitting in Canada eating clean food and pontificating that we should eat toxin laden food is much worse than Marie Antoinette asking people “to eat cake if there is no bread”.‚ It-â„¢s like saying -eat poison, clean food is not important.-. If he was so interested in helping our farmers he should come here, work with us in creating the -Ëœnew agriculture-â„¢ that this country so desperately needs.‚  I will happily give space on my research farm to Mr.Dhanapala, to disprove what we are seeing on the ground or to prove that his agrotoxin agriculture is better.
So, please stop defending the agrotoxin salesmen by resorting to the LTTE bogeyman. We are fed-up with the chauvinistic lunatic fringe of our society, who resort to this cheap trick to defend their anti-national activities!‚  Come here and help change our disastrous course in food production, not defend this course from afar ! -ËœCanada dolaaven bahela, apey govian ekka wadekermu, manavi ! -Ëœ
Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control. Organic farming uses biological derived fertilizers and pesticides but excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers, pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, genetically modified organisms,[1] human sewage sludge, and nanomaterials
Traditional Agriculture refers to ‚ locally developed systems of agriculture that did not use manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers, pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, genetically modified organisms. They rely to a large part on the agronomic knowledge that has been handed down from older generations.‚  Traditional agriculture may use human sewerage sludge and many other materials excluded in Organic Farming.
Certain types of Traditional Agriculture can be -Organic- by default if they do not use precluded inputs.
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One Response to “Is There a Hidden Agenda in Rejecting Organic Farming ?”

  1. AnuD Says:

    Organic farming is what Sri Lanka had before the Artificial fertilizers and improved agricultural plant varieties were introduced.

    Now, we have improved varieties, what we need is INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT.

    ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZER creates soil and water pollution which give rise to human illnesses. So, use of it should be cut down.

    In the WEST, pesticide usage is minimal.

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