Most people assume that no pesticides are used in organic farming, but, in fact, a limited range of pesticides are permitted. However, it is important to note that organic farming takes a completely different approach to the use of pesticides compared to conventional farming. Most of the pesticides approved for use in organic agriculture are from natural origins, such as beeswax, plant oils and pheromones. Pesticides are also not routinely applied. Permission has to be sought for their use and will only be granted if it can be proven that all other alternatives have been unable to contain the problem. As a result they are used in much lower quantities. In the EU there are currently 491 approved active substances1 approved for use as pesticides, of these only 28 are approved for use in organic agriculture.
