Pesticides in cultivation are a major contributing factor to the rapid decline of insects worldwide. Lorenzo Furlan’s studies of Italian corn farms show that chemical plant protection agents are often used unnecessarily and could be replaced by other methods, he says in Document from outside: The mass murder of the insects.
– It is unacceptable that for a one percent risk, you treat the entire surface with a large environmental impact, high costs and without profit for the farmer and society, says Lorenzo Furlan in the documentary.
But giving up pesticides can be fraught with risk, due to a lack of experience and knowledge about farming with more non-toxic methods.
Economic insurance instead of chemical
Instead of pesticides, he advocates a model with a common non-profit fund, run by farmers themselves. The farmers pay approximately four euros per hectare to the fund. It is about one tenth of what the plant protection products cost, according to Furlan’s study. In exchange, farmers receive financial compensation for, for example, insufficient harvests due to pests, diseases or weather. The more that participate, the more the risk is spread geographically.
Hear how Furlan’s bets with farmers were formalized into the joint fund that exists today in the clip above.
See the entire Document from the outside: The mass murder of the insects at SVT Playor Sunday 21/8 at 22:30 in SVT2.