Davidsonia

Taylor, I. 2003. Pesticides, Plant Introductions and Organic Gardening: Ethical Issues Facing HorticultureDavidsonia. 14(3):79-80,90-104

This paper is a discussion of impacts arising from use of pesticides, introduction of new plants for horticulture and the increasing interests in ‘organic’ gardening. Consideration of these practices in a broad context of benefits and harm allows us to begin addressing commercial and public perceptions from an ethical perspective. Past experience with all forms of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and biological control agents points to a need for a greater effort to learn from the past. Introduction of new cultivated material cannot be fully predicted to be free of invasive risks. The increasing complexity and generally low level treatment of human and industrial waste makes it increasingly difficult to assume that ‘natural’ soils are as pristine as we may like to think in moving towards ‘organic’ gardening practices. Biomagnification of toxic materials in soil by food plants may compromise their perceived safety of such ‘organic’ production.