The failed opportunity of agroecological transition in Sri Lanka: an issue of unequal access to land and water—a case study from Batticaloa (Eastern Province)

Since 2019, Sri Lanka has faced a multifactorial crisis that led to the ban on agrochemicals in 2021, which has further exacerbated socioeconomic inequalities and vulnerabilities. This article illustrates how access to land and water conditions social disparities and the ability to shift towards agroecology. In 2023, we conducted a six-month agrarian diagnosis in the rice-growing plain of Eravur Pattu, Batticaloa, Eastern Province. Hundred semi-structured interviews with farmers provided data to assess technical, social, and economic dynamics. The findings reveal that access to land and water has been a critical factor in the significant social inequalities since the early twentieth century, constraining farmers' capacity and interest in shifting to agroecology. The 2021 ban was not an initiative towards agroecological transition, as (1) its sole motivation was budgetary, and (2) it did not lead to a shift from the 'Green Revolution' model that dominates Sri Lankan rice production; thus, it increased inequalities and smallholders' vulnerability. The Eravur Pattu case study demonstrates that agroecological transition is not only a matter of agricultural techniques and practices but also -and perhaps primarily -a matter of the social framework of access to resources (land, water, labour) and the redistribution of value-added. Farmers engaged in family agriculture -whether on their land or leased land with secure tenure and low rent -may find it beneficial to transition towards agroecology if the context is favourable (e.g., access to market, price levels). It is less likely for the agrofirms or those with insecure tenure.