Pesticide-Free Agriculture Is Profitable and Boosts Yields, a New French Study Shows

This 10-year study, led by France’s national agronomic and environment research institute INRAE, analysed nine farming systems – including arable and mixed farming – across various regions of France. [1] The trials were designed collaboratively with farmers and agricultural advisers within experimental units. They used an approach based on agroecological crop protection principles (prevention of the diseases, reliance on plant biodiversity and improvement or protection of soil health), while mineral fertilisers were allowed. The goal was to use zero pesticides while reducing biotic stress (caused by pests, fungi and weeds), with rotations that varied in duration from 5 to 9 years. Even biological pesticides were not used.

Pesticide-free crops often yielded less than conventional systems using chemical pesticides. When comparing bread wheat, conventional farming yielded on average approximately between 500 g/m² and 700 g/m², whereas pesticide-free farming yielded approximately between 600 g/m² and 400 g/m², and organic farming 250–300 g/m².

However, under certain conditions, pesticide-free crops matched or even surpassed conventional yields. At the Auzeville farm, pesticide-free wheat production exceeded conventional production in 2018, reaching 500 g/m² whilst the conventional version remained at around 400 g/m². The same applies to the production of other crops.