As the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) writes, the total volume of sales for plant protection products amounted to 1930 tonnes, which is 23 tonnes fewer than in 2019. ‘Five of the ten best-selling substances in 2020 (fatty acid, potassium bicarbonate, copper, paraffin oil and sulphur) are permitted for use in organic farming.’ However, they are also used by conventional farms.

The statistics initially reveal something mundane: farms of all kinds are reliant on plant protection products. This is true for both organic and conventional farming. This also clear when looking at the long ‘list of approved substances’ issued by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FibL). Farmers must combat fungal diseases, pests and weeds in order to safeguard their yield.

The trend is clear, and it continued in 2020 (see chart). Whilst the volume of sales fell for conventional farming pesticides, there has been an increase in sales volume for pesticides that can be used in both organic and conventional farming. The FOAG writes: ‘Sales volumes for products used in organic farming have overtaken those of products that can only be used in conventional farming. Since 2008, sales volumes of products that can be used in organic farming have increased by 51 percent, whilst sales volumes for products that can only be used in conventional farming have fallen by 41 percent in the same period.’ This could be due to the fact that conventional farms are also increasingly using products that are permitted for organic farming.

Synthetic agents for organic use

Contrary to marketing claims by major distributors and Bio Suisse, organic farming does make use of synthetic plant protection products: copper and sulphur are manufactured synthetically, and sulphur and paraffin oil are petroleum derivatives.

The chart above also shows substances that pose a particular risk (in orange). Sales volumes of these have remained more or less steady – particularly for the heavy metal copper, which lingers in the soil and is also permitted for organic use. Contrary to widespread belief, a substance being permitted for organic farming does not make it 'safe’ or ‘harmless’: copper, for example, lingers in the soil, which causes contamination. One example of this is farmland that has been turned into a nature reserve in Zurich’s wine region. Potatoes were grown in the fields for many years. The consequence of the organic-friendly use of copper is that the soil must now be disposed of in a special landfill site in Weiach.

Plant protection products that are poisonous to bees: rejected by Demeter, permitted under organic rules

The insecticide Spinosad is also permitted for organic use: it is dangerous to bees and should not come into contact with plants that are flowering or that present honeydew (e.g. crops, weeds, adjacent crops, hedges). Spinosad is also very poisonous to aquatic organisms and has a long-term effect. Demeter has recently become stricter than organic rules in this area. Given Spinosad’s toxicity and the resulting risk to insects, a few days ago Demeter decided to step away from Spinosad and forbid its use in the future.

So, is it a scandal that Bio Suisse still permits its use? First off, this simply demonstrates that all biocide and plant protection products, like medication and household chemicals, should be used carefully in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications. The fact that organic substances such as Spinosad are continuing to be used is also due to the approval process for plant protection products in Switzerland. In fact, both organic and conventionally run farms essentially have no other choice than to use the plant protection products still available on the market, whilst many innovative plant protection products are barred from both organic and conventional use.

Approval logjam is impeding innovation

The approval logjam harbours considerable risk. With increasing numbers of products being withdrawn from the market, resistance issues are on the rise. Plant protection products prevent crop losses and thus food waste in fields, and help to save at least part of the harvest in difficult growing years like 2021. Therefore, quantities of plant protection products are expected to increase in 2021, for both organic and conventional farming. Farmers had to apply plant protection products multiple times during the damp summer of 2021, especially for organic substances that wash off easily. The federal government will report in a year’s time on how this has affected sales volumes for 2021.