Sri Lanka economic disaster

GMO corruption case

Sri Lanka's 2021 anti-GMO hysteria and organic farming disaster

In 2021 Sri Lanka started a 100% organic farming experiment and GMO ban that was followed by an economic collapse of the country.

The Genetic Literacy Project, the primary channel of the pro-GMO science establishment, spoke of an anti-GMO-hysteria and a reckless embrace of green politics that resulted in an economic disaster that drove millions of children into starvation.

(2023) Sri Lanka’s disastrous ‘green’ embrace of anti-GMO hysteria When ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa banned GMO in 2021, agricultural production quickly dropped by 40%. When he fled the country due to riots in July, 7 out of 10 families were cutting down on food, and 1.7 million Lankan children risked dying from malnutrition. Source: Genetic Literacy Project (PDF backup)

The primary channel of the science establishment in the US, The American Council on Science, seeks to blame anti-GMO groups for causing the economic collapse in Sri Lanka.

(2022) Anti-GMO Groups Deflect Blame for Sri Lanka's Economic Disaster Sri Lanka ran an evil experiment on its citizens last year. Under the sway of organic-food and anti-GMO activists, the government banned imports of synthetic pesticides and enforced a transition of the country to all-organic agriculture, leaving the vast majority of farmers without access to the vital tools they use to grow the crops their country depends on. Source: The American Council on Science (PDF backup)

President Flees the Country

During the GMO ban, the president of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, went on a reckless spending spree for personal gain by which after just one year Government employees could not be paid any more - and because of which he had to flee the country due to riots.

The president said that the only option to recover from the economic collapse is through a $2.9 billion USD bailout by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The irony of ironies. An institution which across the globe has been acknowledged as anti-people, elitist and responsible for increasing poverty, misery and destitution across dozens of countries, is now being seen as the only saviour for the people in Sri Lanka.

(2023) 'Only option to emerge from crisis is to seek the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)' Sri Lanka President said on economic collapse. Source: 🇮🇳 Mint

The IMF has been involved in the forcing of GMO in countries through economic sanctions. This makes the bailout suspicious.

Hungary was punished economically for banning GMO. The country had to throw out the IMF along with GMO to get rid of it.

WikiLeaks: US targets opponents of GM crops: Eat GMOs! or We'll Cause Pain The cables show US diplomats working directly for GM companies such as Monsanto and Bayer.
Opponents of GMO punished with retaliation and pain.

Planned Legislation for GMO

A US report showed that Sri Lanka imported $179 million USD worth of GMO food in 2021, despite it's supposed GMO ban, and was cultivating GMO food, awaiting legislation, for planned commercialization in 2023.

US report on GMO crop cultivation legislation in Sri Lanka

(2023) US report confirms GMO food production in Sri Lanka The United States and Sri Lanka have a mutually beneficial agricultural trade relationship. The import of Genetic Engineered (GE) crops and animals was worth $179 million in 2021. However, Sri Lanka does not yet export GMO products to the United States. A draft legal framework for Biosecurity legislation for the enactment of the National Biosecurity Act is with the Legal Draftsman's Department and is awaiting the approval of the Attorney General and the Cabinet. Source: AgricultureInformation.lk | Document of United States Department of Agriculture

Organic Farming

A Sri Lankan source indicates that the reason for empty Government coffers was primarily caused by the sprinkling of generous subsidies for personal gain. Such profound unethical behaviour during a 100% organic farming experiment is illogical.

(2023) Is the organic farming policy the cause of Sri Lanka's economic crisis? What is the truth? For political gain they sprinkled subsidies to various departments. That has become a major cause of empty coffers. At present, the government has no money even to pay the salaries of the government employees. Source: (PDF backup)

Sri Lanka's economy is based on tourism and the organic farming experiment was started during the corona pandemic which caused the tourism industry to be badly affected.

Sri Lanka vacations - Guided nature tours and expeditions

Secondly, everything in Sri Lanka, from industries to agriculture is dependent on imports of raw materials while the Government banned the import of some raw materials and demanded that farmers produced them domestically, causing a major shortage.

Sri Lankan farmers were used to apply chemical fertilizers and all of the sudden those fertilizers were banned and the farmers were forced to shift to organic farming. This caused confusion with many farmers about what to do. Most of the farmers had no experience with organic farming.

When switching from chemical farming to organic farming there is a period of loss of yield that later recovers to conventional yield. The farmers were unable to overcome that period of low yield during a pandemic crisis period with high prices. The price of goods kept going up. Meanwhile, the Government banned the import of raw materials from low price countries such as India and demanded that the farmers produced all raw materials domestically, resulting in a shortage of raw materials.

Suspicious

The organic farming failure causes resistance to GMO agriculture to be weakened.

During the GMO ban, Sri Lanka was cultivating GMO food, awaiting legislation for planned commercialization in 2023, and imported $179 million USD worth of GMO food.

The president claimed that the IMF is the only solution for the economic collapse with a $2.9 billion USD bailout, while the IMF has been involved in the enforcing of GMO in other countries through economic sanctions.

The president behaved unethically and emptied the state coffers, which is not in line with the ethical character of a 100% organic farming experiment.