Pesticides: Problem or Placeholder?

Michelle Donath
Dec 16, 2024
4 min read

We wanted blueberries in winter. What we got was a system that can’t survive without spray.

The Trade-Off We Don’t Talk About

Let’s be honest: we like our food flawless.

Crisp apples with no blemishes. Blueberries in July. Bug-free lettuce packed in plastic and trucked thousands of kilometres without wilting.

You don’t get that kind of food, at that kind of scale, without a chemical assistance.

That assistance? Pesticides.

Fungicides. Herbicides. Insecticides. All designed to protect crops from the things that threaten them, like weeds, fungi, or the bugs that would otherwise make a buffet out of our spinach.

But here’s the question I’m asking:

Have we become too dependent on them? And what are the actual trade-offs behind our desire for cheap, convenient, tidy food?

This isn’t about blaming farmers. It’s about examining the system.

Are Pesticides the Problem?

They're not the original villain. Pesticides were created to solve very real problems, like famine, crop loss, and financial ruin for farmers.

But over time, they’ve gone from tool to crutch.

We Use Them To...	Because...
Kill weeds	Monoculture farming makes fields vulnerable
Control fungi & mould	Damp or humid conditions encourage rot
Keep insects off crops	We breed crops with less natural resistance
Standardise appearance	Damaged produce doesn’t sell at scale
Speed up harvest	Desiccants allow synchronized harvesting

But this kind of widespread use isn’t without consequence.

The Hidden Costs

Impact Area	What Happens When Sprays Become the Norm
Soil health	Pesticides can reduce microbial diversity + organic matter
Waterways	Chemical runoff ends up in rivers, lakes, and reefs
Pollinators	Bees and beneficial insects can be killed or impaired
Farmer health	Chronic exposure linked to respiratory and neurological issues
Human biology	Hormonal, neurological, and gut effects are under scrutiny
Resistance	Overuse creates superweeds and pesticide-resistant insects

Even when residues are “safe” by regulation, we’re rarely exposed to just one compound at a time.

We’re exposed to many, often daily, and the long-term cocktail effect? We’re only just beginning to understand it.

So… What Else Is Possible?

This is where the conversation gets interesting. Because while “organic” is the default alternative we hear about, there are a growing number of approaches being tested in Australia and globally that go beyond just what’s sprayed.

Biocontrols: Nature Fighting Nature

Biocontrols use one organism to control another, like letting ladybugs eat aphids instead of spraying the plant with insecticide.

Type of Biocontrol	Example in Practice
Predatory insects	Ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps used in Australian greenhouse tomato farms and stone fruit orchards
Microbial enemies	Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria used to target caterpillar larvae—widely used in organic-certified veg production
Fungi or viruses	Trichoderma fungi added to soil to protect plant roots against pathogens

Used In:

Integrated pest management (IPM) on commercial lettuce and capsicum farms
Controlled-release formulations on Queensland berry farms
Greenhouse and hydroponic systems in Victoria where pest pressure is high but chemical use is limited

Biocontrol isn’t perfect. It requires more observation and sometimes has a learning curve. But it’s gaining traction, especially among farmers who want to protect soil life and avoid spray resistance.

Vertical Farming & Controlled Environments

No weeds. No wind. No pests. No seasons. That’s the promise of vertical farming, growing produce in stacked trays inside buildings, with complete control over light, water, nutrients, and humidity.

Feature	Why It Reduces Pesticide Reliance
Closed-loop environments	No pest pressure from outside
LED lighting	Simulates optimal growth without sun-dependence
Soil-free systems	Less chance of soil-borne pathogens
Urban location	Reduces need for long-haul transport

Used In:

Stelaroma Farms in Melbourne: growing pesticide-free leafy greens in refurbished shipping containers
Sprout Stack in Sydney: climate-resilient farming of microgreens and herbs with zero spray use
Plenty (US): scaling up tech to grow strawberries and tomatoes indoors, without chemical inputs

Limitations: High startup cost, energy use, and it's still best suited to light, fast-growing crops like salad greens and herbs.

Regenerative Farming & Biological Inputs

This approach doesn’t just reduce harm, it rebuilds ecosystems.

Regenerative practices rely on the natural intelligence of soil biology, plant diversity, and cycles that work with the land, not against it.

Practice	Why It Helps Replace Pesticides
Crop rotation	Disrupts pest life cycles naturally
Cover cropping	Protects soil and deters weeds
Compost + bio-stimulants	Feeds soil microbes and plant immune systems
Companion planting	Uses plant diversity to deter pests

Used In:

Tarwyn Park Training (NSW): teaching landscape rehydration and plant diversity as natural pest buffers
Woodstock Organics (VIC): using compost teas, fermented inputs, and native plant strips as pest barriers
Kiss the Ground-style regen operations globally, including vineyards and mixed farms in SA and TAS

Many of these farms still experience pest pressure, but instead of nuking the problem, they observe, adapt, and shift the system over time.

So… Can We Actually Scale It?

That’s the friction point.

Right now, most of these alternatives require:

More labour
More observation
A different kind of system planning
And most of all… a different kind of support structure

Because our current system subsidises speed, not soil.

Spray-and-go is cheaper, until it’s not.

But the appetite for change is growing. And whether you’re a farmer, a policymaker, or someone just trying to eat better, asking questions is where it starts.