Chris Bennett: SFI set to reduce insecticide use
Chris Bennett © Johnny Houston One of the new Sustainable Farming Incentive standards has caught my eye. From this summer, arable farmers in England will have the option to receive a £45/ha payment in return for not using insecticides.
It is a great example of what the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) has been introduced for – public money for public goods.
The payment appears sufficient to reduce insecticide applications and this inevitably shall provide environmental benefits and biodiversity gain.
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The most environmentally focused farmers will claw back a chunk of their diminishing Basic Payment Scheme funding, while those who continue to use insecticides will not.
At the very least, it will force more consideration and avoid prophylactic use of a pesticide group that unquestionably causes harm to beneficials.
Until now, there has been very little incentive to avoid the use of these chemicals. When a spray only costs a few quid a hectare, it is the safe option to use it, even if the efficacy is questionable.
The incentive that Defra is introducing to ditch insecticides effectively brings the cost of an application in line with the most expensive of herbicides and fungicides.
Tried and failed?
I often hear about farmers who have successfully stopped using insecticides, but I wonder how many have tried it and failed. Is it that the best cases shout about their success and the failures keep quiet?
Ceasing the use of insecticides was an aspiration of mine before this announcement, but one I’ve not been brave enough to try.
It seems wrong that, through environmental schemes, we’re paid for all sorts of margins, and pollen and nectar mixes to encourage insects – and yet we spend our time spraying both pests and beneficials when we treat surrounding fields.
The £45/ha is a great incentive, but is it enough to balance the risks of a crop failure? Participation may be greater if it was simple to refund the money in the event that an insecticide was truly needed.
The insecticide option – along with the other new standards – is a step in the right direction, so let’s hope options in future years continue on this path.