Photo credit: Michael Lloyd

A new study has shown that the number and abundance of beneficial predatory insects and spiders are higher both on organically farmed land as well as their surrounding non-agricultural land when compared to conventional farms and their surrounding land. Researchers surveyed spiders and beneficial beetles on six organic and six conventional vineyards in Italy. They found that in general the diversity of beneficial insects and spiders was greater on organic vineyards and in the forest patches adjacent to them, suggesting that the beneficial effects of organic farming methods reach beyond the farm. As a result, the authors recommended that organic agricultural systems “should take priority.”