Less pesticides more food, plus better health. This is the outcome of a field study conducted by the French Institute for Agricultural Research and published in the scientific journal Nature – Plants.
Balancing agroecology with the need to feed a growing world population (1) is one of the great challenges of this century. To reverse the negative environmental effects related to agricultural activities. Soil degradation, desertification, greenhouse gas emissions must be addressed with a change of strategy, in the direction of sustainable agriculture. In France as in Italy, in Europe and around the world.
The drastic reduction of pesticides used in agriculture is one of the key drivers for preserving the environment and human health. However, it is still debated whether a substantial reduction in pesticide use is possible without negatively affecting productivity and profitability.
Less pesticides more food: field analysis of 946 farms
Research shows that the productivity and profitability of a wide range of agricultural crops do not change significantly while lowering the use of agrotoxics. The analysis was conducted on 946 nonorganic farms, in production situations differentiated by arable land and terroir, in various regions of France. (2)
No significant change in yields was found in 77 percent of the farms, which can reduce pesticides by 42 percent without any negative impact on productivity and profitability. In detail, the possibility of an average reduction of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides-within the measures of 37, 47 and 60 percent, respectively-was considered.
The agrotoxics club
In practice, more than 3/4 of agricultural enterprises could drastically reduce the use of agrotoxics without giving up profits even in the short run. With the substantial benefit of preserving natural habitat and soil quality, reducing health hazards for all, ‘from farm to fork’. And decrease the overall impact of production on the ecosystem and climate change. (3)
The real obstacle is the small club of agrotoxin giants. Many of the farmers interviewed confirmed early on that they were interested in reducing pesticide use. Mostly because of concerns about one’s health. (4) But farmers do not have good access to information on alternatives, according to the researchers, because much of the technical advice comes from representatives of the aforementioned giants. Who sell both seeds and poisons. (5)
Notes
(1) The world population, which today consists of about 7 billion individuals, is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050
(2) France is the sixth largest country in Europe in terms of pesticide consumption in relation to units of cultivated land. 7 percent of its European citizens drank water with pesticide residues above legal safe limits at least once a year (2013 data)
(3) The transalpine government action plan‘Ecophyto‘ has set a goal of reducing agrotoxics by 50 percent by 2018. But because their use has increased rather than decreased in the last two years, the target has been postponed to 2025
(4) The French government’s decision in 2016 to recognize Parkinson’s disease as an occupational disease of farmers has awakened quite a few consciences. An understatement
(5) We have devoted extensive space to these issues in thefree ebook ‘GMOs, the Big Scam’. Also available in print version, with entire proceeds donated to the‘We are Parky‘ association. For the protection of patients with the neurodegenerative disease referred to in footnote 2
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.