Photo Credit: USDA

A letter to the editor was recently published in the International Edition of The New York Times, written by The Organic Center’s Director of Science Programs Dr. Jessica Shade. The letter references a recently published article, “A Dangerous Cycle in Food Production” by Beth Gardiner, noting that while the author accurately addresses the threats that large-scale industrial agriculture is imposing on pollinators, she failed to take the discussion full circle to agricultural practices—such as organic—already known to benefit pollinators. Citing The Organic Center report detailing organic best practices, the letter explains that pollinator-friendly techniques used on organic farms are available to any farmer, and could easily be incorporated into conventional farming systems to reduce the negative impacts of our agricultural system on pollinators. It also points out that beyond the farm, consumers can also take action by supporting organic farming and its bee-friendly practices.