Why growing our food is important

This country sailed through the global food crisis of 2008 with some ease but there is no ground for complacency that we could continue to take things in our stride in contemporary times as the world economy takes another steep dip. So disquieting has been this decline in global growth prospects that even some of the more powerful economies have scaled down their growth forecasts.

The economic chaos which has gripped sections of Europe currently is a reminder of the inherently unstable nature of the present global economic order which is shaped essentially by neo-liberal principles favouring free market economics. As has time again been pointed out, Sri Lanka has stood tall in these crises partly because she has retained her faith in social welfarism, which, among other things, helps shield the poor against the ravages of the market system. That is, the poor of this country have been protected against the alarming uncertainties of the free market system, which is a huge plus in these times when some of the world's foremost economies are in a tailspin.

Those who have taken it upon themselves to prophesy on the world economy and its prospects need to take cognizance of these realities. They tend to come out with doomsday prophecies about our credit rating, for instance, while conveniently overlooking the sad situation of Western economies in the present crisis. It is plain to see that the West has gone into steep decline and may never easily recapture the prestige in global affairs it once enjoyed.

Be that as it may, it would be plainly foolish for Sri Lanka to trust to any 'luck' in these matters. If at all this country was saved any major embarrassment on the economic front, it is because over the past few years management of the economy has been comparatively effective. For instance, the major infrastructure development ventures have paid off and helped in keeping the economy in a state of fairly good health. The major roadway projects, for instance, have enabled the rural sector to forge closer and dynamic links with rest of the economy.

The Southern Expressway has the potential to rejuvenate the Southern economy to an unprecedented degree if the public are guided to make good use of it. It has reduced the traveling time between Colombo and Galle to just one hour or less and it should be obvious to entrepreneurs, traders and those in the tourist and leisure industries that the highway could be effectively used to galvanize the Southern economy into greater productivity by putting it to good use in plying their goods and services. The same goes for the Magampura Port project.

However, the stark reality now stares us in the face that we could no longer depend entirely on the West for any continued symbiotic linkages between the local economy and it for the purpose of perpetuating our growth. We need to go ahead with export-led growth but should proceed warily because the West may not be able to offer us any stable or expanded markets on account of the recession gripping it. However, we could now explore the possibility of plying our wares in Eastern markets to a greater degree.

Meanwhile, the growing instability of world markets ought to remind us of the need to forge ahead with growing our own food in greater quantities and varieties. The government's 'Divi Neguma' and connected projects have had the salient effect of inducing in some sections of the citizenry the motivation of growing their food to the extent possible. For instance, home gardening is more popular in this country now.

It is quite some time since we acquired a degree of self-sufficiency in rice. This is a laudable development but there need to be similar achievements in the cultivation of the most essential vegetables and fruits so as to render us less dependent on outside sources for these requirements.

Thirty years or more of consumerism have had the effect of undermining our local food cultivation drive. We could now see for ourselves that Western consumerism has only worked against our national interest by making us more dependent on the West in particular. This trend should be reversed without further delay.