1. CHALLANGES FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN SRI LANKA
We, Sri Lankans are a nation who solely dependent on Agriculture. From the time of the
ancient kings of Sri Lanka which we can trace up to 287 BC. We are the proud inheritors
of a fine irrigation system with tanks and canals that made Sri Lanka a wet country which
otherwise would have been a desert.
I recall the speech by Seattle, the Red Indian Chieftain “when I declare that we love mother
nature, her greenery the fauna and flora, the silvery water falls, the competent cold and
misty mountains in the hill country. There is bio-diversity in our forests, the farms are full
of crops and there is enough to feed the whole nation when the harvest is collected.
What made me say all these? What needs mostly in discussion now? Should be carbonic
agriculture which face great threats against the intrusive chemical fertilizers, chemical
insecticides and pesticides and above all, the wolves in sheep’s clothing and genetically
modified food.
There is a Sinhala idiom that a person beaten with a burning rod would be afraid even of a
fire fly. We have burnt our figures already and so it’s the time for us to investigate into
chemical revolution in Agriculture.
There is a controversy already about the mass scale of kidney patients found in Rajarata
which is the bowl of paddy in Sri Lanka, where most of the residents are farmers. The
multi-national companies introduced chemicals to the farmers in the form of fertilizers and
pesticides and a long term use of these has been carried out. At this moment, we hear over
the Television that there is suspicion whether cyanide be traced in the rice grown in the
Rajarata crops. Who will pay the penalty for the early deaths of the poor farmers? In the
form of fertilizers and pesticides and a long term use of these has been carried out. The
scientists and intellectuals now make research and investigations to find out whether there
is a harmful percentage of chemicals in the waters of our precious tanks which provide for
drinking and agricultural purposes for the farmers.
We are a nation who have been under many foreign invasions. They have controlled our
land, our agricultural concepts and destroyed our traditional methods of agriculture which
solely depended on nature and natural resources. Many scientists have warned us that if
we oppose the nature, the results would be catastrophic and disastrous beyond recovery.
It has already happened. Should be expedite it? Is there anyway to compromise?
Nutrition in the mother of good health. Food Sovereignty is compulsory for nation or
community. If a community is fed with insecure and chemically contaminated food what
good health conditions can we expect from such a community.
The wolf come in the form of a peaceful sheep. We pelted it and embraced it. It was better
known as green revolution. It had aimed many challenges on our health conditions but we
are in fire from the frying pan.
Mother nature has its own ways of bio-diversity. It has its own re-cyclying methods. The
air that we breathe has oxygen which we use to purify our blood. We breath out
carbondioxide which is absorbed by plants to provide us with oxygen. We pollute water
which is subjected to evaporation by the sun to give us 100% pure water on rain. The
fertility of the soil consumed by agriculture which is regained by the decay of plants and

2. animals making carbonic manure for the next generation. Why do we tamper with nature to
quicken the extermination of the human kind from the face of the earth. Oh! mother
nature, beloved mother of our soil. Forgive your destructive sons. They have destroyed a
good path mercilessly within minutes, what you have toiled millions of years to make.
Cancer spreads its arms around and about 60% of deaths in the world are caused by this
dreadful disease. How many unidentified diseases limit the lives of our dear ones. No
antibiotics can be found to cure these diseases. We are the victims of our folly. I will limit
my talk on this matter as there is no remedy. Now for things we have committed already.
There is only one procedure, Let us turn back. Be compatible with nature. Help her with
bio-diversity. If we help her, we would be reminded many a times more to survive.
Globalization has encouraged the industrial world to exploit the agricultural world. Our
ancestral methods of agriculture were treated as primitive. We were eager for better yields.
We needed more harvest with less exertion. We were offered sugar coated tablets of poison
in the form of genetically modified food. Where do they lead us? This is the latest
contributor of genetic engineering, which appears as the Aladine’s lamp. Many benefits are
shown. I list them as follows :-
1. Prevent occurrence of some diseases that cause allergy in people after consuming
them.
2. Food productivity increases. It is the only remedy found in feeding multitudes
with less effort.
3. In areas of drought, in places not suitable for agriculture, it will be a miracle and
a boom.
4. Not much pesticides are needed as they carry the genes of pesticides
themselves.
5. High nutrient counts of minerals and vitamins can be embedded rather than in
traditional crops.
6. The fruits are engineered to stay fresh for a long time.
7. The crops are large and beautiful.
Better presentation qualities are they true? This is no exaggeration as I have seen
genetically modified vegetables like snake gourds as long as real snakes and bitter gourd as
long as snake gourds. Do they taste the same. Do they have the nutritional and medicinal
values as same as the ancestral ones. The younger generation will not know as they have
not tasted our ancestral qualities of food. Do you remember the papaya which was eaten
when we were small. Do we eat the same kind of food, the ladies fingers, the egg plant,
tomatoes of our childhood. They have gone out of our vision as friends and relations who
have deserted us long ago.
Now shall we remove the coat of beautiful sheep and see what is inside. Here comes the
wolf.
There is now lots of controversy over the genetically modified food and a number of
scientists, environmentalists, intellectuals, agricultural communities have risen against the
impact of genetically modified food in the market. There are great many countries who
have banned the import of production, the sale of such food. Ireland, Germany, Kenya,
France, Switzerland are some of them. Some intellectuals have written books questioning
the safety of the genetically modified food production. Here are some of them Changing the
nature of nature by Martin Teital, Kimberly Wilson).

3. Genetic Engineering and You by Moyre Bremner
What you need to know to protect yourself, your family and your planet by Teital Martin.
How to avoid genetically modified food by Joanne Blythmonn.
Genetic Engineering Food and our environment by Luke Anderson.
Vandona Shiva of India took the fight to Hong Kong and launched a campaign with placards
and posters.
The first genetically modified food produced by genetic engineering was the tomato to make
it stay fresh longer without decay. Thus now we have a new variety which does not taste
the real tomato. As the new tomato was sold at a very low price the consumers readily
accepted it. The modifiers were successful. At first genetic engineering was carried out
within the same species and it was much less identified.
Later totally unrelated, organisms were combined in genetic engineering. Soya Beans were
genetically engineered to carry a gene of a bacteria which was used as a weed killer. All the
plants except the soya plant was killed instantly with this weedicide and the soya which was
once the miracle food on earth has lost its value. What was the result?
The flowers and pollen of the soya plants carried the gene and it was noticed that the
monarch butterflies of the region were exterminated. More over, when the flowers were
cross pollinated the bacteria was carried to the other traditional soya plants. This is the way
that they endanger all the crops on the earth. The facts emphasized by the
environmentalists against genetically modified crops can be read as follows :-
(1) The modification of food by engineering genes of bacteria and virus causes the
emergence of new diseases.
(2) The other organisms in the eco system are harmed. Butterflies and birds all friendly
insects will be extinct.
(3) Unknown effects on bio-diversity (loss of flora and fauna)
(4) Unethical tampering with nature may cause severe disasters.
(5) Dependence of developing countries on industrial countries for fertilizers, pesticides
and germinating seeds. The developed countries will dominate the farmers.
(6) Biopiracy – Exploitation of natural resources from under-developed countries for
genetic engineering and obtaining patent certificates.
Many countries and farmer societies sued Monsanto Co. on the grounds that the genetically
modified crops cross pollinate with the organic plants and lose their distinctive appearance.
Their crops will not be welcomed in countries where such food are banned. Despite
objections the companies were allowed to carry out with their genetic engineering processes
after a full environmental study which was not carried out.

4. A prominent scientist was hired by Companies to make safety procedure of genetically
modified food crops into the market. In his research, he found that rats suffered various
physical changes and pre-cancers after the continuous feeding of genetically modified
potatoes (Internet).
The genetic engineering on food was first introduced to the world in the 1990s. It is said
that the media did a great service to the companies by promoting and issuing many articles
on the subject, helping the safe procedure of such food. No proper independent research
has been carried out so far to confirm their safety. Almost all the research has been carried
out by the productive companies themselves.
Though many promotional measures have been carried out there is more and more
controversy and arguments against genetic engineering of foods and more and more people
rally round against them and turn towards organic food.
It is a know fact that when an insecticide is introduced and used on a longer, the insects
develop immunity to the chemical in later stages. A stronger insecticide will have to be
used to overcome that effect. The Companies will gather more profit by selling both
genetically modified seeds and strong insecticides.
The farmers usually portion out the best lot of the harvest to produce germinating seeds.
(They would cease doing that any longer and look forward to genetically modified seeds
expecting to derive a better harvest. Thus, few multi-national companies will deal with the
entire agricultural procedure on earth.
The most serious effect that the environmentalists suspect is that the genetically engineered
seeds may contain well planned genes that may cause infertility in the next off springs.
Eventually, the entire species of the original organic plant too will be extinct due to cross
pollination. No more organic seeds will remain fertile. The farmer will again be exploited in
the form of providing genetically modified germinating seeds. The companies known as
Delft, Pineland and Monsento have merely overwhelmed that they would establish their
economic security by selling their products to Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Vandana Shiva an Indian environmentalist has described the two companies as an
aggression of the northern pole over the southern pole. They will make under-developed
countries (their colonies) the medicinal plants which the farmers have been using for
centuries have been plundered with the help of paid labour and now they try to export them
to the same countries under patent license. The better known plants saffron and margosa
(Kaha and Kohomba) were saved from the hands of such exploits, but we can never expect
the under-developed countries to do the same continuously. This depends on the ability to
change the regulations of the patent rights.
The world trade organization has laid the foundation for the exploitation of bio-diversity.
The multi-national companies, specially American have gained power to carry on such
activities. Eventually, they are permitted to destroy and exploit the environment and force
their unwanted items on the people of the developing countries.
World Health Organization has pointed out that every minute a pesticide poisons a man of
the developing world and every 45 minutes a death occurs as a result of poisoning.
The suicide rate has increased and they are mostly caused by pesticides. It is reported that
about one million four hundred people of the developing countries die owing to pesticides.
The number may be more as some of the deaths are not identified properly.

5. Another method to escape regulations of their own countries, they dispatch the chemicals
separately and combine them in an unassuming developing country.
Parathion is a chemical weapon found in the 2nd
world war. If affects vision and mobility of
the arms and gradual death. A research conducted in Guatamala has shown that even
breast milk and cow’s milk are contaminated with chemicals.
A weedicide known as Tryclore panoxy Acytic acid was used against the Vietnamese in their
war. Two other weedicide Agent Orange and Paraquat which were used in the war are
known to cause mental disability, muscular pain, diahhorea and kidney failure. Many
pesticides are harmful to humans and animas. They cause plasma and destroy the red
cells.
A research conducted by the “National Organization to search alternatives for Pesticides”
has found out that the chemical known as Glyfesate remains in the soil as long as one year
and the crops such as carrots and barley grown on it contained the chemical.
By insecticides and pesticides, do we only kill unwanted elements? The growth chain wall all
be broken. The insects which die are eaten by birds and cows too take the plants as food.
We derive meat and milk from cows and insects in turn get absorbed into our body. We
should not forget that the ancestral farmers used alternative methods such as the juice of
medicinal plants to drive away insects.
Pesticides destroy bio-diversity altogether. They harm all insects, birds who feed on insects
and seeds. The land tends to be barren and cause soil erosion, climatic changes and cause
unknown diseases.
Lastly, may I emphasis on the value of organic agriculture which our fore fathers carried
out.
1. It helps not only individual growth, but helps community growth
2. It does not crush the weak, but helps to settle them on their feet.
3. The society will develop and awareness of other’s rights.
4. There will be less conflicts and help the participation of the women.
5. Develops personality and appreciation of our cultural values.
The basis of organic agriculture is based on the co-operation of the members in the society.
To help each other in need, to respect each other’s rights, develop cultural values, treat the
whole community as one family are basic features of organic agriculture.
In view of discouraging the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified
food, we should discuss how we could overcome these problems ensuring better living
conditions with adequate nutrient food supplies. We should establish awareness and be
informed to recognize our activities without which no results can be obtained, how much
ever strength and wealth is used on this matter. If the so called nutrient foods cause
unidentified diseases, if the developed countries create an artificial food scarcity by
discarding excess amount of food supplies into the waters, if our ancestral organic farming
methods are destroyed with the motive of dominating agriculture what mercy can e people
of the under-developed countries expect from the developed world.
Let us turn back. Turn back to our ancestral organic agriculture, turn back to our co-
operative culture, turn back to our agriculture linked with animal husbandry. Cowdung,

6. rotten plants, hay will make fine manure along with our ancestral methods of pest control.
Do away with the chemicals. Save the lives of the next generation.
We speak about the modern developments. Town Planning, Industrial development, road
development, urban development etc. Sri Lanka too has aimed at developments.
As little children, we were taught that Sri Lanka earned its income mainly from tea, rubber
and coconut. No more rubber, no more coconuts now. The plantations were partitioned
and sold as small plots by real estate dealers. Thanks to the upcountry Tamil community,
the low country farmer community, some of the tea ad paddy lands still remains.
Our next aim was the garment industry. It was very popular with the younger generation
with limited educational standards. The villagers parted from agriculture, flocked to the
towns, embraced the urban society and some of the cultural values soon diminished. The
garment industry has not reached its peak due to many reasons.
Now the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have come to rescue us.
According to their wishes, the Government aimed at tourism. The villages are urbanized,
mass road developments, urban development which takes place have driven away small
scale businessmen, traders, labourers away from the towns like Colombo, the fisher folk
from places like Kalpitiya. Their houses were pulled down to make room for the gigantic
hotels of the multi-national companies. They may threaten our wild life sanctuaries too for
which the environmentalists are against up in arms. This can be equalized to the barren
land act of the British colonial times. The silvery water falls, the misty mountains, golden
beaches, wild life etc. will all be foreign property. Land of our birth, we salute thee. We
have one request to make.
(1) Make organic agriculture the government principle.
(2) Labelling all genetically modified food for pubic awareness
(3) Ban the import of genetically modified food in mass scale.
(4) Control the import of chemicals for agricultural purposes.
Lastly, as a mark of respect to Seatle the Red Indian Chieftain, the great environmentalist, I
like to quote some parts of his speech.
“Our dead never forget this beautiful land that gave them being. They still love their
verdant valleys, the murmuring rivers, its magnificient mountains. Verdant lined lakes and
bays and often return to visit, guide, console us.
We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters, the deer,
the horse, the great eagle they are our brothers. The rivers are our brothers. They quench
our thirst. Every shinning fine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods,
every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory.
Finally he says “Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever
he does to the web, he does to himself.
May I humbly add “Every little flower that opens, ever little creature that moves, every little
cloud that floats, every little drop of water that falls are linked together like strands of a
web. You plunder one strand and the whole nature’s set up will collapse like a broken web.
SIRIMAL PEIRIS