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Bridging sustainability and effectiveness: assessing pesticide policies and regulation in Sri Lanka

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Abstract

In the present era, policies often confront the challenge of addressing complex and pervasive issues such as climate change, food system transformations, and pesticide pollution. To tackle these “wicked” problems effectively, a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between sustainability and policy effectiveness is essential. This study investigates pesticide-related policies in Sri Lanka across agriculture, environment, and health domains, aiming to comprehend the dynamics between efficiency and sustainability. The study focuses on three key aspects: (1) the alignment of policy goals with sustainable transformation, (2) how policy instruments address sustainability goals, and (3) the quality of policy instruments. Our findings reveal a prioritization hierarchy within the pillars of sustainability; social aspects are highly emphasized, while environmental concerns receive moderate attention, leaving economic factors largely unaddressed. Moreover, the effectiveness indicator indicates suboptimal performance of the existing policy instruments. Additionally, a critical evaluation reveals an imbalance in the selection of these tools characterized by an overreliance on command-and-control measures at the expense of market-based instruments. Lastly, the study discusses potential reasons behind the gaps in sustainability and effectiveness and provides recommendations to bridge these gaps and enhance the efficiency and inclusivity of future policies.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through the CORIGAP project entitled “Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced Environmental Footprint” (Grant no. 81016734). The authors would also like to acknowledge Dr. Grant Singleton for securing the funding for this study through the CORIGAP project. The support received from officials of various agencies to access the information is duly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines

    M. M. J. G. C. N. Jayasiri & Sudhir Yadav

  2. Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Kandy, Sri Lanka

    M. M. J. G. C. N. Jayasiri

  3. University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Karin Ingold

  4. Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Kandy, Sri Lanka

    J. Weerahewa & N. D. K. Dayawansa

  5. Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Sudhir Yadav

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Jayasiri, M.M., Ingold, K., Weerahewa, J. et al. Bridging sustainability and effectiveness: assessing pesticide policies and regulation in Sri Lanka. Environ Dev Sustain (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04852-7

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