A study reveals that organic farms might inadvertently lead to increased pesticide use in nearby conventional fields, according to researchers in California.
Madeleine Cuff reports for New Scientist.
In short:
- Organic farming, aiming to minimize chemical use, may cause neighboring conventional farms to use more pesticides due to pest spillover.
- The study in Kern County, California, found a small increase in pesticide use on conventional farms adjacent to organic ones.
- Organic farms can reduce pesticide use in their vicinity, but the effect varies with the proportion of organic land in the area.
Key quote:
"Pests arrive and seed a new outbreak, and they [farmers] increase pesticide use."
— Ashley Larsen, associate professor of agricultural & landscape ecology, University of California, Santa Barbara
Why this matters:
Organic farming prioritizes the health of the soil, ecosystems and people, avoiding toxic chemicals that harm health. However, organic farms may serve as reservoirs for pests and weeds that are controlled through synthetic pesticides in conventional farms. Without these chemical deterrents, organic fields may host higher populations of certain pests and weeds, which can then migrate to neighboring conventional fields.
