A Cautionary Tale of Agriculture Policy
Confirmation Hearing for Agriculture Secretary Nominee Brooke Rollins
A Cautionary Tale of Decarbonization in Agriculture: Sri Lanka’s Economic Collapse
During her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate to become the Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins will likely face tough questions about balancing environmental sustainability with the economic realities of American farmers. Senators should be concerned if globalist political agendas continue to weave their way into American politics. We need look no further than Sri Lanka to see the devastating effects…
Sri Lanka’s push to decarbonize by banning chemical fertilizers in 2021 serves as a stark warning about the perils of poorly planned so-called environmental policies. Under the leadership of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who claimed to be the world’s first “net-zero candidate,” Sri Lanka sought to transition to organic farming overnight. This decision, touted as a step toward sustainability, had catastrophic consequences for the nation’s agricultural sector and economy.
LINKPrior to the policy change, Sri Lanka was a leading exporter of high-quality tea, and its domestic rice production was largely self-sufficient. However, the abrupt ban on nitrogen-based fertilizers caused rice production to plummet by 40%, forcing the country to import $450 million worth of rice to stave off shortages. The tea industry, a critical source of export revenue, suffered losses of $425 million due to decreased yields. These disruptions led to soaring food prices—an 80% increase in some cases—and widespread economic hardship. This significant increase in poverty levels has led to widespread food insecurity, with nearly a third of Sri Lankans facing hunger daily.
At the start of its decline, Sri Lanka boasted the highest Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) rating of any nation, a badge of honor for its ambitious environmental policies. However, this accolade proved hollow as the decarbonization agenda triggered food insecurity, inflation, and economic collapse. By November 2021, the government was forced to reverse the fertilizer ban, but the damage was done, with long-term impacts on the country’s food supply and economic stability.
Sri Lanka’s downfall illustrates the dangers of prioritizing political agendas over pragmatic, cost-benefit-driven policies. The lessons are clear: while environmental goals are important, they must be balanced with economic realities and the livelihoods of those most affected.
A good reminder of a extreme policy that crippled a nation. It is sad to think we are loosing our agricultural land at such a rate as we are here in Texas. Much to renewables and then population expansion.
We have to prioritize our farmers as some of our best farmland disappears under solar panels. The best and most productive land, the Blackland Prairie, is targeted by solar and being lost at an alarming rate. The land will never be the same since they are removing the top soil and replacing it with something more stable for their posts.
Another despicable thing about solar, is their ridiculous claim to include farming with panels.... agrivoltaics, huge joke for those who know something about farming! But not just that, it's the tax scam of keeping that land in ag. exempt while they run a few sheep on it. Cut their taxes and serve up cadmium/lead/PFAS in infused sheep.
Great piece. Something everyone should remember.
Decarbonization is a naive fantasy that could only be achieved if we significantly culled the world population. While that may be the ultimate desire of some fanatical greens, most people would never agree to that. Indeed about two thirds of all Americans wouldn’t pay $10 a month to address “climate change.”