This country tried to go 100% organic and crashed its economy | Full Episode
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About this episode
In 2021 Sri Lanka's then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa made a bold decision. He banned the importation of artificial fertilisers, pesticides, and weedicides. Sri Lanka's agricultural industry became 100 per cent organic overnight.
Fertiliser costs were on the rise and the government's budget was hit badly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns around chemicals and illness also played a significant role in President Rajapaksa’s plan.
It was hoped the ban would help cut expenditure and improve foreign exchange, as well as address concerns about the health effects of using chemicals in food production.
It didn't work out.
In this episode, Dateline visits tea plantations and meets organic gurus to see what Australia can learn from a fast-tracked green revolution.
This episode was originally broadcasted in 2022.
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Dateline is an Australian award-winning international documentary series with a current affairs backbone. Every week we transport you to a different part of the world to share half-hour stories about family, social injustice, identity, tragedy, redemption and survival. We scour the globe to bring you special characters and a world of daring stories.
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- Posted by
- SBS Dateline, the YouTube channel of News & Current Affairs | Dateline, on 2024-10-09
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- News & Current Affairs | Dateline, whose own site links this channel (checked 2026-11-07)
- Length
- 23 min
- Where it plays
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- A full episode, as its rights holder calls it
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