During the course of evolution, man has gone from a nomadic lifestyle of hunting and harvesting, to a sedentary one of grower-breeder, which led him to face the development of antagonistic living beings in the crops, responsible for altering the food substrate in which they reproduce, making it inedible.

The real revolution for crops was the advent of synthetic chemistry, which led to the discovery of substances capable of fighting diseases caused by pathogenic parasites. A chemical product is any molecule (natural or synthetic) that arises from a chemical reaction as a result of the recombination of the bonds that join the atoms of the starting substances (reactants). The chemicals used to protect plants are synthesized by man and, by contrasting the growth of pathogenic living beings, can also have, regardless of their nature, side effects on the host organisms. It is often thought that chemicals are harmful a priori and that natural substances, as such, are harmless or minimally harmful. Unfortunately, this is not always true.

Ultraviolet rays are natural, but they can lead to the onset of tumours and melanomas, the main causes of death related to UV rays. In nature there are fungi whose mycotoxins or poisons can be fatal both directly and indirectly, by entering the food chain through contaminated crops, mainly cereals. Some food contaminants are also of natural origin, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and Escherichia Coli, all of which are bacteria capable of producing toxic effects that can be very harmful in the human body.

Finally, let’s think about how the spillage in the sea of the load of an oil tanker (the contents of which are of organic and plant origin) represents very severe damage to the environment and consequently to human health.

Nevertheless, in the collective imagination it is above all chemistry, invented by man (synthesis), that is the real pollutant harmful to man and the environment. It is also blamed for being a source of social inequality as it is linked to multinational companies and consequently to different opportunities for access.

In this case, too, distinctions must be made.

In 1850 the average life expectancy in Central Europe was 40, in 1960 the average was around 69 years and according to ISTAT data (Italian Statistical Office) in 2019 in Italy, life expectancy at birth was 82.98 years. This continuous increase has been possible thanks to the chemical synthesis understood both as drugs used for the prevention and treatment of diseases and as products that make food safer, such as pesticides (following a Gaussian trend, i.e. by increasing the pesticide molecules, production increases to then no longer increase; continuing with the increase of chemicals, the food decreases).

So where does the legitimate and growing need to use less synthetic chemicals come from? Probably from the excessive use of pesticides, which was not always rationalized and proportionate to the real needs of crops. In the 1980s, there was effectively a real abuse. Today, however, the amount of pesticides per unit of food has been more than halved and 70% of the chemical molecules that were used in the past have been banned because they were considered unsafe for human health. We can say that today’s food is healthier thanks to the reduced use of these chemical products and the use of far more biodegradable molecules.

The answer to decades of reckless consumption was necessarily the need to increase knowledge, to study more the possible harmful effects on human health and to hone the skills of farmers to avoid the use of excessive synthetic chemicals, replacing them as far as possible with natural products and developing innovative agronomic practices. The concept of organic farming evolved from these principles.

Conventional-Integrated Agriculture in full respect of health and sustainability

Our philosophy, developed in accordance with the principle of safety and health protection, wants to recall the metaphorical concept of a healthy diet integrated with physical activity and, if necessary, the use of a proper pharmacological therapy, aimed at obtaining effectiveness with the minimum amount necessary. This requires the constant support of a professional with the indispensable technical skills to analyse the problems and identify the most appropriate intervention strategies, combining and alternating the different types of action without overemphasizing the natural origin of a molecule regardless of its potential harmful effects or demonizing chemistry a priori. Tenuta la Vigna, in the past few years, with the continuous search for balance between production needs, research, professional training and ethical awareness, has tried to pursue the objectives of effectiveness in the phytopathological fight, a sparing use and consumption of fuel and absence of residues of synthetic pesticides in the wine.

No toxicological activity, a reduced carbon footprint and absence of certified pesticides.

The synthetic phytopharmaceuticals used on the Tenuta are low impact chemical insecticides, with an insecticidal spectrum limited to the growth phase of the insect and therefore very respectful of useful and valuable insects and mites. Moreover, no toxicological activity has been detected or proven and they do not cause neurotoxic effects on humans when used or handled. All the phytosanitary work carried out during the growing season is recorded in the “Quaderno di Campagna” (Field Notebook) so that there can be traceability of all the products and quantities used.

This way it has been possible to combine different strategies taking the positive side of each method.

The result is exciting.