Soil: A living ecosystem
It’s clear that pesticides pose a grave threat to organisms critical to healthy food and farm systems. Yet U.S. regulators, including the Environmental Protection Agency, aren’t required to consider risk to soil-dwelling organisms and the broader ecosystem of soil in their regulatory decisions.
But scientists know that soil isn’t just “dirt”. Instead, it’s a vast ecosystem, home to a wide range of organisms, from earthworms and bees, to microscopic fungi and bacteria. These organisms cycle nutrients and water critical for plant growth and carbon sequestration — both of which are necessary for ecosystem function — and for agriculture in its entirety. From the regulation of pests and diseases, to decomposing dead plants and animals to nourish new plant growth, we need healthy soils to grow food.
Without a healthy soil ecosystem, productivity suffers — and farmers must turn to more synthetic inputs, including pesticides and fertilizers, to maintain yields. Industry’s answer to problems caused by pesticides? More pesticides. This is the pesticide treadmill, and it’s not sustainable.
Source: New study: Pesticides harm organisms critical to soil health | Pesticide Action Network





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