Why the spread of organic farms may prompt growers to use more pesticide, not less > News Clips

Why the spread of organic farms may prompt growers to use more pesticide, not less

To help California fight climate change, air quality regulators would like to see 20% of the state's farmland go organic by 2045. That means converting about 65,000 acres of conventional fields to organic practices every year.

But depending on how that transition happens, the change could lead to an overall increase in the amount of pesticide used by growers throughout the state.

So suggests a new study in the journal Science that examined how organic farms influence the behavior of their neighbors. Researchers found that when new organic fields come online, the insects that come with them may prompt conventional growers to boost their pesticide use by an amount large enough to offset the reduction in organic fields — and then some.

"We expect an increase in organic in the future," said study leader Ashley Larsen, a professor of agricultural and landscape ecology at UC Santa Barbara. "How do we make sure this is not causing unintended harm?"

Organic farming practices help fight climate change by producing healthier soil that can hold on to more carbon and by eschewing synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, which fuel greenhouse gas emissions. Organic methods are also more sustainable for a warming world because they help the soil hold more water, among other benefits.

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https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-spread-organic-farms-may-181606951.html

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