Why Use Organic & Natural Pesticides?

They are any pesticide derived from natural sources like minerals, plants or animals. Organic or synthetic pesticides can both be very toxic and must be handled very carefully. In fact, some organic pesticides, while harmless to humans and plants, are very toxic to some animals, and must be used in extremely limited and controlled quantities, especially where both farming and animal husbandry are conducted.

The benefits of organic pesticides

1. Greatly reduce the environmental impact - Compared to synthetics, organics are better for the environment. They tend to be chemically broken down quickly and safely by the natural conditions. Organics, unlike synthetics, can be specifically targeted against very selected pests, while being harmless to others. They are less likely to contaminate groundwater sources.

2. Safer for human beings -They are ‘safer’ and NOT “totally safe’ and must be handled with care and caution. By their very nature, organics tend to be less toxic to humans in general. Exposure to chemicals is a growing concern among the farming and gardening community and by going organic this exposure can be reduced drastically.

3. Leads to holistic farming methods - unlike commercial farming, organic farming, necessitates an understanding of all the processes involved. One needs to understand the plants, the soil, the weather, the microbes, how all come together to generate a great harvest. One starts to respect mother nature, with positive benefits both psychologically and financially.

4. Reduce the carbon footprint - a carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases that is generated by our actions, in this case agriculture. Commercial agriculture with all that is necessary to conduct it, has a very high carbon footprint. Organic pesticides usage and production has an extremely low carbon footprint.

5. Less chances of pests gaining resistance- pesticide resistance is a very serious issue, because commercial agriculture uses very large amounts of synthetic pesticides. Organics, as they take longer to take effect, and in general have lower toxicity levels, greatly reduce this.

It bears repeating, organic or synthetic pesticides are meant to kill pests, and hence very dangerous and it is highly advised to seek the advice of specialists in this field. Like The Organic Planters  a Kochi based provider of all things organic, both services and products.