Government meddling with the private sector always has some unanticipated, harmful consequences, but they’re usually slow to emerge. Not, however, in Sri Lanka, where government decrees in agriculture have caused a rapid decline in output. Food prices have quadrupled.
The specific reason: mandates to stop using synthetic fertilizers, brought about by “green” officials. Writing on PowerLine, John Hinderaker presents the ugly facts about conditions in Sri Lanka.
Mao also thought he knew how to improve farming. His dictates led to mass starvation in China.
When government officials who won’t lose if they’re wrong get to tell people how to run their lives, the results are almost always bad. That’s true whether we’re talking about “green” agriculture, staying healthy during a pandemic, or anything else.