Advocates of organic farming have long portrayed it as friendlier to people and the earth. But a new study in one California county found a surprising effect as plantings grew: Nearby conventional farms applied more pesticides, possibly to overcome the increasing insect threat to their crops, the researchers said.
Understanding what’s happening could be important to prevent organic and conventional farmers from harming each other’s operations, said Ashley Larsen, the study’s lead author, in this week’s journal Science.
“We expect an increase in organic in the future. How can we make sure this doesn’t cause unintended harm?” asked Larsen, an associate professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
In contrast, researchers found that when organic farms The team speculates that their use of pesticides is reduced because they are surrounded by other organic areas, and this may be due to their shared dependence on insects, which are natural enemies of agricultural pests.
Organic farms are allowed to use certain approved products. pesticide, but often turn to the ‘good bugs’ that prey on the pests first. “It appears that spatial clustering or concentration of organic areas may provide this benefit or this solution,” Larsen said.
Should organic and conventional farms be kept separate?
Researchers analyzed 14,000 sites in Kern County, California, over a seven-year period.
Although organic farmland has been on an upward trend since 2000, it still accounts for less than 1 percent of all farmland in the United States, according to the USDA. As this change occurs, Larsen and his team say keeping organic and conventional farms sufficiently separate could benefit both.
But many farmers, both conventional and organic, oppose the idea of policies that could restrict where different methods can be used. And some outside researchers have said more studies are needed before considering policy recommendations.
They noted that the study did not measure the type or number of insects on different farms, which would imply increased numbers of insects. pesticide Its use can only be a precaution.
Conventional farmers see organic farms as pest ‘hotspots’
Still, the “impressive data set” makes the study useful in generating valuable questions on the topic. farming Christian Krupke, who studies insects as a professor of entomology at Purdue University and was not involved in the study, spoke about the practices and pesticides. overall number vermin He said the phenomenon, which some scientists call the “insect apocalypse,” has decreased, but pesticide use has not.
Krupke said the research shows how traditional farmers treat nearby ones organic Operations “as a focal point for potential outbreaks.”
David Haviland, an entomologist at the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the research, agrees. He described the fight in Kern County to control the glassy-winged sharpshooter that was invading citrus trees. orchards and can infect grapes, almonds, and some other crops with devastating plant diseases.
Haviland said regional maps clearly show organic farms as “huge, incredible hotspots where this pest is present in large numbers.” As a result, traditional growers next door have been forced to increase their use of pesticides, he said.
Yichao Rui, an agricultural ecologist at Purdue, said such reactions from farmers are not always due to an actual increase in pests; Sometimes it’s just for “peace”. Katy Rogers, who manages an organic farm outside Indianapolis, said it’s a misconception that in many cases organic farmers are home to massive pest infestations.
“Most organic farms on a well-managed farm do not encourage pest populations,” he said. “First of all, we fight them with other tools. Because it’s bad insects It would still destroy my crop.”
‘Holistic evaluation’ of farming practices needed
Investigating the environmental consequences of organic farming, both organic and conventional, is a worthy goal, Rui said. farms There is room for improvement. But he thinks looking only at pesticide use doesn’t take into account factors such as human health, air and water quality, and ecosystem diversity that can be affected by different farming methods.
“We need to make a holistic assessment of the benefits and returns of all these agricultural practices,” he said.
Brad Wetli is from Indiana farmer The conventional grain grower said he had not noticed any changes in the pest control situation since his neighbor switched to organic farming four years ago.
he thinks so farmers It might be quicker to apply more pesticides to high-value crops like fruits, vegetables and nuts in California, whereas the row crops he grows, like corn and beans, don’t have that much value per acre, so a bigger change to the land would be required. He increased the number of insects he saw on his farm before starting to buy more sprays.
Wetli was more interested in land management. He makes a point of planting cover crops and works to reduce tillage, which can cause soil erosion and pollute waterways, and he said he is organic. farming sometimes it still requires plowing.
What is the impact of conventional agriculture on organic production?
Meanwhile, organic farmers expressed concern that the study addressed the effects of organic farms on conventional farms, but not the other way around. For example, according to the USDA, if a prohibited material is applied to their site, even accidentally, they can lose their certification for up to three years.
Walter Goldstein, a corn grower in Wisconsin who produces both organic and non-organic seed, grew up working on an organic farm amid conventional farms and still remembers the pesticide drift.
“There are some really weird smells,” he said. “Chemical smells. “They smell like factory smells.”
Jay Shipman, who owns an organic farm near another large organic farm in Kern County, said he likes: farming “It’s not just because it’s economical,” he said alongside someone with similar practices, “I eat this way. I want my family to eat this way.”
But he added that he grew up with conventional farming and understands that trying to persuade farmers to do something different can be “hard to change, hard to swallow.”
Rogers, Indianapolis’ organic farm manager, has spent most of his life in conventional farming. agriculture and says he was taught that organic farmers were “the enemy.” He is now deeply committed to a small church-run organic and regenerative farm with vegetables, beehives and hay.
Rogers said he can see the benefits of bringing organic farms together, but he thinks separating organic and conventional farmers, as the researchers suggest, could be “even more polarizing.”
“At the deepest level we are all administration land “And actually we all want to contribute,” he said.