AGROCHEMICALS
Sustainability-conscious consumers are driving regulators and major food companies to rethink their practices and that will eventually trickle down to every commercial and / or local grower .
Growers will adopt the technologies and practices needed in order to continue to deliver stronger returns and pleasing the players determining their crop value - namely their partners and the end consumers . Within the next decade , standards across the food supply chain will be completely overhauled .
Working with nature , not against it
Our current food supply chain cannot feed a growing population sustainably . Food security continues to be a global problem that requires the use of some conventional chemical pesticides . Some people believe that organic produce and biologicals are the best ways to safeguard the health of food , growers and the environment , and reduce the reliance on chemicals .
While organic produce is broadly branded as cleaner , healthier and more nutritious , and consumers seem happy to pay a premium for it , organic agriculture does not automatically equal sustainability in the same way that ‘ zero calorie ’
Lab work at Biotalys
foods are not necessarily healthy . The misconceptions created by the organic craze create massive hurdles for sustainable agriculture .
True sustainability is based on the impact made through the approach itself - with the aim of reducing the impact on the soil , planet , farmers , workers and others . Not all biobased systems will be safe for the longterm . In fact , nature can create the deadliest poisons .
While the move to embrace nonchemical systems is certainly the way forward , biologicals in some cases can be just as harmful , copper sulfate in vineyards being a prime , caustic example . Many of the existing microbials and biologicals do not always offer a more sustainable option - and they may lack the consistency , quality and efficiency today ’ s growers need .
What the industry needs is chemistry at a different scale . There is no solution that will solve it all , chemical or nature-based . We need to bring new technologies to market that complement and enhance existing solutions to make agriculture sustainable . The remedy to the problem is not looking at organic agriculture versus conventional , or trying to outlaw all chemical usage . Rather , we must measure any approach by its environmental , economic and societal impact .
There are so many issues that circle crop sustainability . From pests and diseases developing resistance to conventional chemistry , to the regulatory pressures ( like the European Green Deal to rapidly reduce herbicide usage ) that push for the transformation of crop protection , the common denominator is trying to do more with less while making agricultural practices more sustainable . We need to rethink crop protection to create healthier , resilient and more equitable food systems .
Parting ways with pesky pesticides
Innovative biocontrols will help growers combat fungal diseases sustainably . Nature-based solutions can help growers to work with nature as food systems evolve . Protein-based biocontrols ( biopesticides , biofungicides , etc .) will be a significant force behind the needed changes to our current agricultural practices .
Instead of doing more with less , we need to grow what we need with less impact . Moving in this direction will mean pulling back on chemicalbased crop protection solutions , which were grossly overused for decades all over the world .
As one example , spraying an entire field regularly , versus targeting and spraying specific weeds , plants or pests as needed , is unnecessary in a world where precision agriculture is available to help us drastically reduce the use of chemicals . It could even help curb resistance levels over time . And that same level of precision can be used with biocontrols .
Novel modes of action like proteinbased biocontrols can be added into crop protection rotations as a new tool in the grower ’ s toolbox to manage pathogen resistance . It addresses the needs of growers and consumers alike by substantially reducing both chemical usage and
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