{"id":119734,"date":"2021-10-29T15:44:24","date_gmt":"2021-10-29T22:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=119734"},"modified":"2021-10-29T15:44:24","modified_gmt":"2021-10-29T22:44:24","slug":"towards-sustainable-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/10\/29\/towards-sustainable-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Towards Sustainable Agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dr. Tilak S Fernando<\/strong>\u00a0|<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

COLUMNS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Towards<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\nis much controversy over organic manure vs. toxic fertilisers. It was proposed\nat the Presidential Election by the Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa\nthat if he came to power, he would undoubtedly introduce organic fertiliser for\nthe safety of every citizen in Sri Lanka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the\n72nd Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Army at the Gajaba Regiment Headquarters,\nSaliyapura, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa re-affirmed his vision for the future\nfor Sri Lanka as a Green Agriculture, what he promised as a Presidential\ncandidate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We live\nin a much-advanced world today and spend over one-third of our lifetime seeking\ndegrees, diplomas, PhDs in Universities and acquiring the so-called\n\u2018knowledge\u2019. That knowhow could turn into a waste of time if we do not give\nmuch thought to the validities of our lives. In this regard, to guide people in\nthe right direction, various religions have emerged to educate people\u2019s\nknowledge whenever individuals lack the judgement to a fuller existence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\nman is naturally inclined to change, and the whole process becomes tarnished\nwhen politics enter the scene. The present-day politicians in Sri Lanka\n(especially the Opposition and the JVP) do not seem to act sensibly like any\nother foreign country\u2019s Opposition. Sri Lanka\u2019s present Opposition desires to\nlimit only one line of thought or action: to debase the Government and seek\npower!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Life is a resting place <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the\nend of the day, everyone faces death! When leaving we do not take with us\neverything that we have hoarded. In other words, we are born alone and die\nalone. However, some, especially business people, tend to believe that there is\nso much to procure. Others think there is no future in life, considering that\nlife is purposeless and mundane and the universe itself is a series of\naccidental phenomena. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such\nself-opinionated theories of non-existent laws will affect the behaviour of\nsome individuals. In such a backdrop, moral responsibility to respect each\nother or creatures fails to exist. Despite such opposing theories, most of the\nworld\u2019s population\u2019s behavioural patterns matter greatly, and whatever action\nwe take will affect others: referred to in Buddhism and Hinduism as Karma\n(cause and effect). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vegetarianism <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During\nthe Sixth Century BC, Westerners followed the eminent Greek mathematician and\nphilosopher Pythagoras, who introduced a vegetarian community. He initiated a\nhealthy diet. Most of the intellectuals and virtuous Hellenic philosophers and\nmoralists accepted what Pythagoras taught. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many\ndiseases as well as obesity are common even among the younger generation today\ndue to junk food garnished with chemicals and preservatives. On the brighter\nside, we are beginning to see a growing organic and vegetarian way of looking\nat life without causing unnecessary harm to man. In this respect, Organic food\nand paddy cultivation with carbonic fertiliser introduced by the President\nenters the equation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 England\nfirst used the word \u2018vegetarian\u2019 in 1842. It derives from the Latin word\n\u2018egetus\u2019 meaning fresh or lively. Manchester devoted the first organisation to\na meat-free diet and named it the Vegetarian Society. Amidst numerous problems\nthe vegetarian society in Manchester confronted, they managed to survive. Out\nof this British movement in 1908, the International Vegetarian Union emerged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Later\nvegetarianism expanded throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. During\nthe early 1950s, London became the permanent headquarters of the International\nVegetarian Society; since then, it has affiliated with many centres worldwide.\nWhen one indicates the word \u2018vegetarian\u2019, what immediately springs to one\u2019s\nmind is only a few leafy vegetables. But there is an unlimited range of\nproducts other than green vegetables such as legumes, roots, herbs, grain,\nseeds and dried fruits, berries, and nuts. Some consider even eggs as part of a\nvegetarian diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nadvantage of a vegetarian diet is currently and progressively becoming a novel\nidea throughout the world. The Department of Education in the UK changed their\nGovernment policy in school meals for school children from junk food to more\nvegetables and fruits due to the fear of them getting obese and unhealthy The\npresence of greasy animal fat in the intestines may increase calcium intake. It\nis a significant factor in coronary heart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Calcium\nmay be a key factor for healthy bones and teeth, but simultaneously it affects\nmuscles, hormones, nerve function and can form blood clots. Research has\nsuggested (but not confirmed) that calcium helps other problems like PMS\n(Premenstrual syndrome), high blood pressure, and possibly weight gain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meat Consumption <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consumption\nof meat, especially beef, was considered a healthy diet until 1955. \u2018The Extra\nPharmacopoeia\u2019 in 1955 was the coup de gr\u00e2ce to this belief. Proteins are not\ngenerally synthesised in the intestine but are obtained by consuming food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nprimary source for this process is coming from the vegetable kingdom. It is\nfrom this source that animals of great strength, endurance, and stature, build\nup. Examples can be illustrated; elephants, rhinoceros and cattle obtained\ntheir energy supplies without the advantage of consuming meat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some\nargue that predatory animals such as tigers and lions are slimmer than\nelephants or cows that are vegetarian. Although human beings have progressed to\nunprecedented intellectual levels with modern scientific and medical theories,\nthe world is still baffled by widespread infirmity with many degenerative\ndiseases, mainly intestinal-type! Infants do not like meat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\nlive purely live on mothers\u2019 milk that contains a balanced mixture of vitamins,\nminerals, and proteins essential for a baby\u2019s growth. During the weaning\nprocess, baby foods containing toxins get gradually introduced by\nmothers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nchild, through instincts, first rejects as a means of protest when mothers feed\nthe first dose of meat or fish to them, but the mother\u2019s persistence overcomes\nthe infant\u2019s natural resistance! The child then gradually becomes conditioned\nand accepts the nasty smells and tastes! Such early conditioning will make\npeople meateaters against their choice! On the other hand, critics against cow\nmilk would say that even calves give up sucking milk from their mother\u2019s udder;\nit is only humans who drink milk throughout their life. Not a single religion\nadvocates the killing of a living being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ngreat philosopher Confucius followed the golden Chinese rule of what you do\nnot want to inflict to yourself do not do to others\u201d. Lao Tzu, Lord Buddha,\nMahavira, Isaiah and Zoroaster have taught the unity in life, to achieve\nperfection, one has to be in harmony with life. Ahimsa, or inoffensiveness, was\nthe core of Lord Buddha\u2019s ethical philosophy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christians\ncan find justification for vegetarianism in the Old Testament. A practising\nChristian needs to ask oneself thus: If the horrors of the slaughterhouse,\ncatching wild animals for food, torturing defenceless creatures for vivisection\n(in laboratories), disembowelling chicken for Christmas lunch, and many other\noutrageous disgraces humans inflict on the animal kingdom are in keeping with\nlove and compassion? The Bible mentions what God pronounced: \u2018Behold! I have\ngiven you every herb bearing seed and every tree that is the fruit of a tree\nyielding seed to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 It\nshall be for meat, and to every beast of the earthly and fowl of the air and to\neverything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is the life I have given\nevery green herb for meat\u2019 \u2013 Genesis. Human beings will awaken and acknowledge\nthe sanctity of all life when individual stomachs become fewer and fewer\ncemeteries receiving portions of dead carcases. (tilakfernando@gmail.com) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Dr. Tilak S Fernando\u00a0| COLUMNS There is much controversy over organic manure vs. toxic fertilisers. It was proposed at the Presidential Election by the Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa that if he came to power, he would undoubtedly introduce organic fertiliser for the safety of every citizen in Sri Lanka.  On the 72nd Anniversary of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-by-drtilak-s-fernando"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119734\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}