7 Comments
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Alan Moore's avatar

Such an important topic. At a purely economic level, aphids, wasps, hoverflies and ladybirds contribute, for free, to aphid control in cereal crops. But these insects need unsprayed habitats, including healthy hedgerows, to survive.

Aislínn Kelly's avatar

Thank you, Alan! It's so vital to highlight hedgerows and unsprayed margins are doing essential work in our farming landscapes, supporting the insects that provide natural pest control and wider resilience. It’s an important point to keep bringing into these conversations.

Barbara Larson's avatar

PS: Lovely photos

Barbara Larson's avatar

Lovely comments by people who know farming/nature more than I do. City gal here but I do understand how connected we all are to one another from the earth worm on up. It seems we will kill off mankind via non-food supply while we worry about nuclear annihilation.

Aislínn Kelly's avatar

Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment Barbara. Care for nature isn’t limited to any one background; whether rural or urban, we’re all connected to these systems and all voices have a role in shaping how we protect them. I'm glad you like the photos- years of snapping while walking my dogs is finally paying off!

Iain's avatar

We need something with the impact of Silent Spring. People don't understand that this is a downward spiral, degraded soil, lack of invertebrates, to lack of food for birds, declining nutritional content of food. Its suicide by the long route.

Aislínn Kelly's avatar

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. One of the aims of the piece was to highlight how these issues are interconnected, from soil health through to wider ecosystems and food systems. I appreciate you engaging with the discussion.