Can AG startups change the way we farm?
First, some background to the use of chemicals in food production.
Around the turn of the 20th century, farmers in Massachusetts began using chemical insecticides on their crops. Their mission was simple. Eliminate the insects eating their valuable produce.
This insecticide was lead arsenate. As the name suggests, the main ingredients were lead and arsenic – both known to be deadly. At the time, a few people raised concerns about lead and arsenic residue on food. Nonetheless, the practice continued.
Over the next fifty years, use of lead arsenate flourished. By mid-century, it was commonly used on farms across the USA, in Canada, in New Zealand and here in Australia.
It was used primarily to control pests in orchards, on garden crops, on coffee trees and to reduce mosquitos in cattle dips.
In the 1950s, the invention of chromatography allowed scientists to accurately detect the presence and risks of chemical residues on food. For the first time, it was possible to confirm what consumers had worried about fifty years earlier.
Around the same time, use of lead arsenic in Australia started to decline -before it was officially banned. The reason was that farmers were switching to another chemical, DDT.
Ultimately, DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) was found to be as harmful as lead arsenate. It was banned as a pesticide in the USA in the early 1970s, and in Australia in 1987.
However, the love affair with chemicals was well established. Farmers have continued to rely on chemicals such as glyphosate, paraquat and dicamba to control weeds and pests.
There are a few problems with this. Glyphosate and paraquat have been linked to numerous cancers. They are now banned in many countries.
Glyphosate now shows up in breast milk, in popular foods such as cereals and in baby foods. In a US study, 98% of children had glyphosate in their urine.
Worse, farmers are using more glyphosate than ever. Weeds are growing resistant to glyphosate. To combat this resistance, farmers have increased the dosage – effectively putting themselves and consumers at risk.
Chemicals have also been added in the manufacturing process. A popular addition to foods is sodium benzoate. It’s used as a preservative, especially in acidic foods like juices and salad dressings. It is also used in some medicines and cosmetics. Sodium Benzoate is classified as generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the US Food & Drug Administration. However, under some circumstances, it produces benzene – a chemical that damages reproductive organs and causes cancer.
To avoid exposure to these chemicals, consumers turn to organic foods. Should you have to buy organic to avoid chemicals?
Of course, the answer should be no. But it isn’t. Buying organic is still the easiest way to avoid chemicals. Even so, some organic farms have been damaged by chemicals drifting from neighbouring farms.
To reduce the reliance on chemicals, scientists are researching viable alternatives to the chemicals used on farms. And this has been a critical barrier to the switch to safer alternatives. Farmers won’t make the switch if the natural product doesn’t work as well as the toxic one.
The opportunity exists for startups to develop new science to create a demonstrably effective alternative to glyphosate and paraquat. Trials with new natural herbicides have been shown to kill many glyphosate-resistant weeds. Some of these new bioherbicides are pH-neutral, so they won’t change soil’s fertility. They don’t enter the food chain. That means that food produced using these bioherbicides can still be exported to countries banning glyphosate.
New technology is proving effective at only targeting weeds. (Whereas glyphosate is generally applied to everything – food and weeds alike.) Australian startup InFarm combines robotics and AI to change how weeds are eradicated on farms.
AI software identifies weed species on a farm. Each weed is geolocated. Its position is fed into a robotic sprayer that sprays each weed with the appropriate concentration of bioherbicide. It’s a precise, safe and economic way to control weeds and boost farm productivity.
We’re still a long way from nontoxic food production becoming the norm, but Australian companies are leading the way.
Can Australia do more? Yes. Here are three ways.
GOVERNMENT CAN INCENTIVISE THE SWITCH FROM CHEMICALS
Governments offer incentives for all sorts of things, like putting solar panels on our roofs. However, there are currently no incentives to help farmers switch from chemical to natural herbicides and pesticides.
COUNCILS CAN LEAD THE WAY LOCALLY
Councils report that residents are increasing concerned about the use of chemicals in their community. Ask your Council or sporting club to switch to natural weedkillers.
Also, in regional areas, agriculture accounts for around a third of the local economy. It’s in the Council’s best interest to help local farmers transition to keep their export markets open and keep the region’s reputation for healthy food.
CONSUMERS CAN CHOOSE MORE CAREFULLY
Many chemicals are introduced in the processing of food. When you stop – or reduce – eating processed food, you reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals.
