delivers lower net economic and environmental outcomes?
This is obviously an exaggeration to make a point – not a blank statement of the relative value of natural vs. synthetic inputs. The point is that farming is a science, not a religion. What’s important is to manage for best possible outcomes, not according to preconceived notions of right and wrong. Oftentimes the best choice will be a natural input. Sometimes the best choice may be a synthetic input. It is also important to recognize that there are farmers who will be unable to qualify for organic certification, who will be unwilling for many reasons to follow organic practices, or who will assume unacceptable economic risks in doing so. Vineyards in the Northwest, for example, may be able to go 4 out of 5 years without synthetic treatments. But if there is a heavy outbreak of powdery mildew, the choice can be between losing the harvest or using a synthetic treatment that will invalidate organic certification and require a 3-year waiting period for recertification. By taking a differe