Development of organic farming and its mechanism in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the development of organic farming (OF) and clarify its mechanism in Sri Lanka under the global food system. OF is seen as a typical alternative to the mainstream global food supply system and productivism and is expected to be an environmentally, socially, and economically just and sustainable farming method. However, ironically, due to the commodification of certified "organic" products, even this sector falls under the global food system. Moreover, most of the research on the development of OF is conducted in industrialized countries, despite the fact that OF is expected to offer solutions to rural issues in developing countries. Few comprehensive studies have been carried out on the development of OF in developing countries under the global food system. Sri Lanka was chosen as the study area for following reasons: 1) the government and companies have positive attitudes toward the export of organic products; 2) OF has been introduced in two agricultural sectors, plantations and small farmers, which are typical in developing countries; and 3) the small scale of the country is suitable for conducting research on a national scale. Based on the agriculture of Sri Lanka, Of development was examined from three aspects: development through agri-business development through NGO activities and support from the government. In-depth interviews with and questionnaires to relevant actors as the interrelationship among the actors. Major findings of this study were: 1) OF in Sri Lanka has mainly been led by agri-businesses that have organic certification from industrialized countries for exports. There are two types of these agri-businesses, plantation companies and companies that organize small farmer's groups, and they mainly export tea and processed spice/fruit, respectively. Their location patterns result from convenience for exporting, but some are chosen by considering less-favored areas. Organic cultivation of rice is, however, not popular because rice is mainly for domestic consumption despite the major agricultural land use in Sri Lanka. 2) NGOs promote OF mostly for environmental conservation, conservation of traditional cultivation systems, promoting farmers' environmental consciousness, and food security, and they do not always concentrate efforts on the export of products. Therefore, the locations of NGO offices and the crops they promote crops are diverse. However, a few NGOs are active in OF promotion and they have close relationships with international organizations based in industrialized countries. 3) Despite the strong connection with industrialized countries, the development of OF in Sri Lanka has been endogenous to some extent and features interrelationships between relevant actors, such as technical support and finding buyers. Under this situation, the Sri Lankan government, which promoted the Green Revolution, has changed its attitude toward OF and original certification systems to improve cooperation with other relevant actors. 4) OF in Sri Lanka will continue to develop depending on exports to industrialized countries, because of the difficulty in establishing the domestic organic market. Therefore government support is necessary for export activities. As public-benefit actors, the government, NGOs, and international organizations need to give priority to promoting OF in environmentally sensitive and socioeconomically less-favored areas. At the same time, all upstream actors including those in industrialized countries must understand the situation of downstream actors such as small farmers and plantation workers and support them. Otherwise, OF as an environmentally, socially, and economically just and sustainable farming method will not be achieved in developing countries like Sri Lanka.