Sri Lanka used to be food-sufficient, with farmers using traditional agricultural methods. But the so-called 'Green Revolution' encouraged farmers to become heavily dependent on imported fertilisers, pesticides and seeds. This has resulted in damage to the soil, deforestation and loss of biodiversity. The climate crisis is making the situation even worse.
Land grabbing by the ruling elite – seized for private investment, military use and tourism – has become a major issue, resulting in displacement of rural communities and loss of livelihoods. The country’s previously abundant aquatic resources have also been depleted, and the marine environment damaged by destructive and greedy over-exploitation.
A better world needs all of us. That’s why CAFOD has worked in Sri Lanka since the 1980s, encouraging better governance, social cohesion and sustainable food production, as well as challenging the unjust policies inflicted upon communities due to the country’s debt. We're working together with local experts, in solidarity with communities facing injustice, so that every family has the opportunity to flourish.
