The polyphagous Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm), a Lepidopteran pest, has European farmers in a panic and, when the environmental NGOs government funds are not around, it has politicians concerned also. 

Though classified as a priority pest since 2023, fall armyworm remains easy to establish and fast to spread. Corn crops, a vital part of EU agriculture, remain at risk. Despite that, policymakers have been promoted using pesticides which work poorly but are approved by environmental groups while talking about climate change. The problem is clear but environmental activists have insisted human health and the environment will be impacted unless legacy products that are ineffective remain the sole solution.

They don’t want synthetic pesticides, unless the synthetic ones are products they have exempted so organic farmers can use them, and claim earlier detection and another committee eating catered dinners in the south of France while sociologists talk about farming, in this case EUFAWREADY (Enhancing Europe’s readiness for managing fall armyworm), which was attended by everyone except the farmers who actually feed Europe.

Rather than un-ban chlorpyrifos or other pyrethroid tools, EUFAWREADY members think neem and clove oil will be enough. If those were enough, the European predatorts who impose colonial rules about farming on Africa wouldn’t have this created problem in Europe, it would’ve been stopped in Africa a decade ago.

Despite the invasion, activists still insist modern pesticides are unacceptable. It is the agriculture form of their weird solar power obsession – it doesn’t matter if it does not work and prices go up 100%, it just hasn’t been failing long enough to work.

Hank Campbell is the founder of Science 2.0 and the author of Science Left Behind. Follow Hank on X @HankCampbell

A version of this article was originally posted at Science 2.0 and is reposted here with permission. Any reposting should credit both the GLP and the original article. Find Science 2.0 on X @science2_0