(IN)ORGANIC

The Sustainable Goals or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. They were formulated in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year of 2030.

Here, in the webinar, the focus was given on raising the community awareness regarding the Sustainable Development Goal No.15: Life on Land. “Life on land”, refers to, “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss”. In a search for a timely topic with regards to the particular SDG, we came up with a plan to excavate the importance of organic and inorganic fertilizer for sustainable agriculture in Sri Lanka.

Not more than a month ago, the Sri Lankan government took a decision to ban the import and use of fertilizer, insecticide and weedicide. The government stated that, although the country has been spending massively on chemical fertilizer over the years, there has not been a qualitative growth in local agriculture. But the farming community did not seem to embrace the decision positively, since it was a sensitive matter for most engaged in agriculture. Moreover, several riots emerged across the country, even amidst the pandemic situation.

Having understood the fact that Sri Lanka has been using chemical fertilizer for so many years, but has never thought before, of taking the first strategic step towards organic farming; the need for educating the society on the pros and cons of such a national policy was evident.

One of our major objectives was to be an eye opener to the public by bringing about awareness regarding the current issue on ceasing importation of inorganic fertilizer. The webinar targeted to discuss:

-        What is the current status of local agricultural soil?

-        Is it possible for us to have such a fast transformation?

-        The constituents in organic and inorganic fertilizer

-        The impact of fertilizer import ban on local food production and other related industries

-        What are the possible measures and/or solutions to maintain constant productivity?

It was targeted to educate farmers on the pros and cons of organic fertilizer, its practical application and posted threats and challenges.

Furthermore, the project aimed to foster positive attitudes in the minds of farmers, whilst deeply regretting the fact that, farmers; the most important stakeholders in the agricultural sector have always been passed over by the responsible hands, in the process of decision making.