Synergies of Farming with Alternative Pollinators (FAP) and Certified Organic Farming for Transformative Change of Agriculture

Abstract

Organic farming is a holistic and ambitious way of crop production challenging farmers starting in depleted soils. During the certification process for organic farming, farmers refrain already from using multiple chemicals to boost production, but often they cannot yet gain the full payment for certified organic production. Assumed income loss can limit readiness for organic production. An approach for pollinator protection in low- and middle-income countries, farming with alternative pollinators (FAP) can fill the gap, as the habitat-enhancement measures for pollinators substantially and significantly pay off for farmers in the first year. Planting marketable habitat-enhancement plants attracts higher diversity and abundance of wild pollinators, increasing productivity. The additional plants also attract higher abundance and diversity of natural enemies during a prolonged flowering time. In a large project in smallholder fields in Morocco, they reduced pests on average by 64.8% in main crops. The total net income was, on average, 121% higher than from monocultural control fields. Combination of certified organic agriculture and FAP might accelerate transformative change of agriculture in several aspects.