Hemp can be struck down by the sword, the gun or the combine harvester, but when it comes to a commercial crop's natural enemies - like insects, pests or disease - Hemp's a doozy - a warrior with a natural Organic Armour.
Organic is often a trophy term, and has been for some time. It broadly means production (in farming or food) without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. It’s known to be a more ‘pure’ and ‘natural’ process, and usually comes with a price tag due to the added work involved in keeping the crops safe. But in the battle for high yields, fast growth, and the obliteration of carbon, Hemp does not need any extra help or protection to win. Chemical backup is neither a necessary nor a sustainable ally, and a pesticide overload will also end up betraying the plants (and the people) it pretends to protect.
Common Pesticides include: Insecticides (for insects). Herbicides (for weeds). Rodenticides (for rats). Industrial growth of the last century has brought us to a point where now three million tonnes of chemicals are sprayed each year - effectively nuking the soil they seep into. As a consequence much of the worlds topsoil has now become toxic and unusable. Not to mention catastrophic chemical seepage into the sea. It’s also worth remembering that cotton now accounts for 16% of the world’s insecticide use - and one drop of aldicarb (common cotton pesticide) could kill a human being.
But Pests, bugs and disease are often powerless against the hardy Hemp. Why? Some say it’s the plants tough nature - others say it's the smell - others think it’s something to do with the plants inbuilt antibacterial oils. And while Hemp may do well in detouring the bad, the birds and the bees still love it... and it will fix any intoxicated soil left over from the past century’s chronic chemical napalming.
