Elements of agroecological pest and disease management

Abstract

The development of large-scale monocropped agrisystems has facilitated increased problems with pests and diseases, perpetuating the reliance of farmers on synthetic pesticides. The economic success of synthetic inputs has, however, been achieved at a high cost to the environment through the loss of biodiversity, depletion of soil quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and disrupting the ecosystem services that can otherwise help mitigate losses caused by pests and diseases. Environmentally benign alternatives for pest and disease management are urgently needed and are now widely recognized as essential for sustainable food and agriculture. The Food and Agriculture Organization, for example, has published the 10 elements of agroecology as a framework for the transformation of agriculture. Agroecology combines ecological and social concepts and principles to develop sustainable food and agricultural systems by harnessing nature-based solutions that are tailored to farmers’ needs. Plant-based biopesticides, for example, offer an alternative to synthetic pesticides that are less harmful to the environment and nonpersistent, yet effective at managing pests and have a long tradition of use among farmers so are more socially acceptable. Here, we provide a critical assessment of how nature-based approaches to pest and disease management comply with the 10 elements of agroecology and show how they integrate with other ecosystem services through farmer participatory research. We conclude that the adoption of nature-based solutions for pest management addresses all 10 elements of agroecology and provides an entry point to promote sustainable farming practices among farmers more widely.