There is a paradox in ‘conventional’ agriculture around the world: growers apply high volumes of nitrogen fertilisers and pesticides in order to promote and protect yields, but pests and pathogens (P&Ps) continue to challenge food security. In this session, a team from the University of Edinburgh will share their recent work that focuses on the biochemistry of crops and offers new explanations as to why this occurs. 

Their findings support the conclusions of the French agronomist, Francis Chaboussou, whose translated book: ‘Healthy Crops, A new Agricultural Revolution’ (2004) is now being relaunched online. All their conclusions lead away from the treadmill of pesticides towards ecological ways of farming.