Don't Let the Climate Ideologues Tell Us We Don't Need Fertilizer: What We Don't Need Is Any More Sri Lanka Debacles!
By Jason Isaac of CEO/Founder of American Energy Institute.
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.
Prior 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.
#JasonIsaac #AmericanEnergyInstitute #Fertilizer #SriLanka #AmericanLawInstitut
They didn’t read the tea leaves….. 🍃
Another example of too much too soon. A three year program to gradually go to regenerative agriculture would have cut imports of fertilizer by half and improved the soil. Some fertilizer will always be needed in high erosion areas, but the cost must be controlled. Meantime feed stock for ammonia and nitrate production will be available with off shore natural gas, after necessary infrastructure is built.