A 2000 study that concluded the well-known herbicide glyphosate was safe, widely cited since then, has just been officially disavowed by the journal that published it. The scientists are suspected of having signed a text actually prepared by Monsanto.
but we also don’t have any better pest control methods
Yes we do, nature.
It’s just that monoculture and 100% yield have been prioritised. Treating huge swathes of land as if it’s a sterile chemistry lab instead of home for millions of bacteria, fungi, insects, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.
The best pest control is the promotion of predators. That’s a mixture of various animals, requiring varying habitats, and a mixture of plants. Not flat, sterile monoculture.
Farmers also need to accept that a percentage of their crop is sacrificial. If you have to give up 10% of your crop to feed the predators that will prevent the other 90% from being devastated, then so be it.
Ultimately the root cause of this issue is capitalism. The constant need to grow your business larger, compete, and consume.
The romantic view of the independent farmer is largely a myth now, many farms are owned as part of large businesses. The independent ones that are left will only have a future if they wake up, collaborate instead of compete, and let nature do the heavy lifting for them instead of relying upon chemical factories for everything from pesticides to fertilisers.
Yes we do, nature.
It’s just that monoculture and 100% yield have been prioritised. Treating huge swathes of land as if it’s a sterile chemistry lab instead of home for millions of bacteria, fungi, insects, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.
The best pest control is the promotion of predators. That’s a mixture of various animals, requiring varying habitats, and a mixture of plants. Not flat, sterile monoculture.
Farmers also need to accept that a percentage of their crop is sacrificial. If you have to give up 10% of your crop to feed the predators that will prevent the other 90% from being devastated, then so be it.
Ultimately the root cause of this issue is capitalism. The constant need to grow your business larger, compete, and consume.
The romantic view of the independent farmer is largely a myth now, many farms are owned as part of large businesses. The independent ones that are left will only have a future if they wake up, collaborate instead of compete, and let nature do the heavy lifting for them instead of relying upon chemical factories for everything from pesticides to fertilisers.
Spitting facts, here