Participation of scientists and scholars in presenting people's solution to the food crisis in Sri Lanka

Dear Friends,

We like to invite to you for the following meeting which will be held on the 11^th of August (Tuesday) at 10 am in MONLAR office. Please confirm your participation in advance.

Thank you

Sarath Fernando
MONLAR



Participation of scientists and scholars in presenting people's solution to the food crisis in Sri Lanka

We are writing this to get your views about the participation and role of scientists and scholars to present the set of proposals that have been worked out as people’s solutions to the food prices crisis in the country.

There is a plenty of evidence to show that it is possible, to find effective solutions to the problems of food and nutrition in the country, adopting small scale ecological agriculture. This has proved to be very low cost, easy and can be done very quickly too.  In doing this it is possible to avoid the use of expensive and damaging chemical pesticides, to minimize the use of fossil fuel based products. In Sri Lanka where there is a very large number of small scale farmers cultivating small plots of land this can be done as an activity of small farmers this could enable the country to have food produced in plenty at very low cost , and to increase the food availability at low cost.  This can be a means of reducing the very high cost of food prevailing in the country.

In such an approach to agriculture it is possible to improve and enhance the natural soil fertility of all land in the country, increase bio diversity and food diversity and to restore the regenerative capacity of nature.

In Sri Lanka, where there is a plentiful supply of sunlight, rain water and plentifulness of trees and plants though out the year adopting such an approach to development is possible in all agro ecological and climatic zones in the country. It is also possible to do this with very low capital requirements.

Therefore, this is a means of solving many of the economic problems in the country. Presently the Movement for  National Land and Agricultural Reform ( MONLAR) implements this programme successfully in Kurunegala District ( Wayamba ), In Hambantota ( Southern Province), In Badulla and Monaragala ( In Uva Province ) and also in other places in 15 districts in the country in well over 200 villages and our surveys have shown that there are over 500 people’s organisations conducting such forms of ecological agriculture in the country in about 15 districts. Several organisations have revived and adopted traditional varieties of paddy and are cultivating them ecologically with very effective yields and results.

These farmers can be organized into clusters of villages working with building mutual collaboration among them, there by achieving sufficient surplus and scale of production, to meet the urban needs of food to other consumers. By building direct relationships ( direct producer – consumer  links )  between these producer farmers and consumer groups it is possible to it would be possible to get fair prices to both farmers as well as to consumers.

Today in a world ridden of several crises such as high and unaffordable food prices, harmful contaminated and poisoned food, contaminated water and unhealthy environment and depletion of natural resources etc. causing serious health problems and diseases can be solved and also water shortages can be over come by improving the water retention capacity of the soil and nature and to have a better form of natural water management  too.

There is a plenty of experiences in this form of agricultural transformation through out the worl, particularly in Asia and latin America.  We have access to such knowledge and links with such international initiatives and movements.  There is tremendous experience and expertise in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Philippines, in Cuba, Brazil and Venezuela and other Latin American countries too. There are very large farmer movements, specialized institutions and experts in this field.

The present Government in Sri Lanka has launched many different programmes such as “Api Wawamu Rata Nagamu”, “Gemi Diriya” and “Gama Neguma” which are directed to a certain degree in this direction, with considerable fund allocations and allocation of government personnel and resources.  The above people’s experiences can be effectively utilized to improve such government programmes and to correct their approaches more effectively. These experiences and people’s skills could also be utilized to formulate government policies that could make these efforts more effective and efficient.

Sri Lanka has a tremendous potential to develop into a model for the rest of the world in meeting the present crises such as the global financial crisis, the ecological crisis and the environmental crises such as climate change and global warming  and the high food prices crisis leading to failure in making an effective impact in solving hunger and poverty in the world ( Making MDGs more effective ) Sri Lanka can be a model in facing the well known ill effects of globalization of market.

In order to build an effective dialogue with the government and with the other international institutions such as the WB, the IMF, ADB and also the International agricultural institutions such as FAO and IFAD. We would like to establish a close dialogue and a process of study together with scientist community , with scholars and their institutions such as the universities to get their collboartion in carrying out an effective influence on the above official bodies.  

We have launched a campaign named “Campaign on People’s solutions to Food Crisis to bring the work we have been doing for nearly two decades on these issues. It is the Intension of this campaign to get the assistance and participation of the scientific community and their institutions to work out a national programme to bring about this transformation.

This campaign has brought together over two hundred organisations  and have had discussions on its proposals in many disctricts. We would therefore like to get your responses to this proposal and organize a meeting to discuss towards reaching a concensus and prepare plans in early part of August.  Please indicate your thinking and if your are willing to attend such a process of discussion during the second week of   August.

Contact : MONLAR : 0112 865534, 0777899233, fax 0114 407663
E-mail ; monal@sltnet.lk and sarafdo@sltnet.lk

Posted in food security , Sarath Fernando , Sri Lanka