On top of the Covid-19 pandemic, people of 43 countries are now on the brink of a famine, and the United Nations (UN) food agency warned that 45 million people are at risk. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the cost of preventing a famine at the global level has climbed to $ 7 billion, from $ 6.6 billion earlier in the year.
Unfortunately, Sri Lanka too has come to a point where it has to deal with a food shortage, even though it may not be as acute as the situation in other countries, and therefore, now is a good time to talk about the food crisis in Sri Lanka, because the situation seems to be getting worse. This is due in part not only because of the financial crisis Sri Lanka is going through, but because the Government seems to be giving up on consumers, and giving into the rising food prices.
Worsening world hunger, according to the WFP, is a result of several reasons such as the pandemic, climate change, and conflicts, and the number of people at risk of starvation has climbed by three million within just a year. Other reasons such as high fuel, fertiliser, and food prices have also contributed to this situation.
The extent to which Sri Lanka can relate to these reasons may depend on the circumstances unique to Sri Lanka. However, blaming them for the food crisis is no longer an option, as Sri Lanka does not have any ongoing conflicts or climate change-related issues serious enough to cause a food crisis. Also, the pandemic is common to everybody. However, in the Sri Lankan context, there seems to be a fourth reason, i.e. bad policies and decisions.
On the one hand, the authorities do not have adequate control over the country’s food supply and pricing mechanism, as traders have been freed from a large number of price control regulations; and on the other hand, the fertiliser crisis has crippled the agriculture sector.
During the past few months, the Government removed price controls imposed on a large number of essential food items such as rice, sugar, dhal, wheat flour, and milk powder, while the prices of other food items which are not considered essential have also soared. In an alarming development, the post of the Office of the Commissioner General of Essential Services, which was established to ensure the proper supply of essential goods, has now been abolished.
In addition, bad policies have not only stalled the Government’s plan to go 100% organic in agriculture, it has also placed farmers and the domestic food production system in a very difficult situation. The situation is such that the yield of the ongoing Maha farming season, according to farmers groups, is likely to be less than the yield last year.
The last time Sri Lanka faced a food crisis in recent memory was in the 1970s, or during the former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s era, at which time severe austerity measures were in place, which compelled the domestic food supply mechanism to ration a large number of day-to-day goods. Like now, the people had to spend hours in food lines, and be satisfied with whatever amount of food the authorities or store owners had decided to sell each person. Those who lived in that era also say that there was a black market, like now, that sold more goods than the approved amount for more money.
The circumstances that led to the situations now and in the 1970s are quite different. The one thing common about the two situations is that, both the then Bandaranaike rule had and the present Rajapaksa rule has, domestic production as a goal, but not a proper mechanism to help the people and businesses to transition.
Managing a country’s food supply system has more to do with managing the available resources than having enough resources, and proper planning is the main step that ensures the proper management of the resources. The current fertiliser and food crisis is essentially a result of ill-conceived plans and bad decisions, which can result in more damages than a pandemic or a conflict.
A plan that has an objective, but not a way to achieve that objective, is not a plan, and the authorities understanding this can prevent Sri Lanka from facing a famine.Surviving the hunger games
09 Nov 2021
Surviving the hunger games
09 Nov 2021
On top of the Covid-19 pandemic, people of 43 countries are now on the brink of a famine, and the United Nations (UN) food agency warned that 45 million people are at risk. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the cost of preventing a famine at the global level has climbed to $ 7 billion, from $ 6.6 billion earlier in the year.
Unfortunately, Sri Lanka too has come to a point where it has to deal with a food shortage, even though it may not be as acute as the situation in other countries, and therefore, now is a good time to talk about the food crisis in Sri Lanka, because the situation seems to be getting worse. This is due in part not only because of the financial crisis Sri Lanka is going through, but because the Government seems to be giving up on consumers, and giving into the rising food prices.
Worsening world hunger, according to the WFP, is a result of several reasons such as the pandemic, climate change, and conflicts, and the number of people at risk of starvation has climbed by three million within just a year. Other reasons such as high fuel, fertiliser, and food prices have also contributed to this situation.
The extent to which Sri Lanka can relate to these reasons may depend on the circumstances unique to Sri Lanka. However, blaming them for the food crisis is no longer an option, as Sri Lanka does not have any ongoing conflicts or climate change-related issues serious enough to cause a food crisis. Also, the pandemic is common to everybody. However, in the Sri Lankan context, there seems to be a fourth reason, i.e. bad policies and decisions.
On the one hand, the authorities do not have adequate control over the country’s food supply and pricing mechanism, as traders have been freed from a large number of price control regulations; and on the other hand, the fertiliser crisis has crippled the agriculture sector.
During the past few months, the Government removed price controls imposed on a large number of essential food items such as rice, sugar, dhal, wheat flour, and milk powder, while the prices of other food items which are not considered essential have also soared. In an alarming development, the post of the Office of the Commissioner General of Essential Services, which was established to ensure the proper supply of essential goods, has now been abolished.
In addition, bad policies have not only stalled the Government’s plan to go 100% organic in agriculture, it has also placed farmers and the domestic food production system in a very difficult situation. The situation is such that the yield of the ongoing Maha farming season, according to farmers groups, is likely to be less than the yield last year.
The last time Sri Lanka faced a food crisis in recent memory was in the 1970s, or during the former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s era, at which time severe austerity measures were in place, which compelled the domestic food supply mechanism to ration a large number of day-to-day goods. Like now, the people had to spend hours in food lines, and be satisfied with whatever amount of food the authorities or store owners had decided to sell each person. Those who lived in that era also say that there was a black market, like now, that sold more goods than the approved amount for more money.
The circumstances that led to the situations now and in the 1970s are quite different. The one thing common about the two situations is that, both the then Bandaranaike rule had and the present Rajapaksa rule has, domestic production as a goal, but not a proper mechanism to help the people and businesses to transition.
Managing a country’s food supply system has more to do with managing the available resources than having enough resources, and proper planning is the main step that ensures the proper management of the resources. The current fertiliser and food crisis is essentially a result of ill-conceived plans and bad decisions, which can result in more damages than a pandemic or a conflict.
A plan that has an objective, but not a way to achieve that objective, is not a plan, and the authorities understanding this can prevent Sri Lanka from facing a famine.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!