Sri Lanka's Organic Farming Experiment Went Catastrophically Wrong

URL: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/05/sri-lanka-organic-farming-crisis/

Highlights

• As a niche within a larger, industrialized, agricultural system, organic farming works reasonably well. Producers typically see lower yields. But they can save money on fertilizer and other chemical inputs while selling to a niche market for privileged consumers willing to pay a premium for products labeled organic. Yields are lower—but not disastrously lower—because there are ample nutrients available to smuggle into the system via manure. As long as organic food remains niche, the relationship between lower yields and increased land use remains manageable.