The pesticides approved in organic farming are largely natural ones, though a limited amount of synthetic substances are permitted
While much about modern farming techniques centers around the use of synthetic pesticides (a catch-all term that includes herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and other similar substances) on large acreage, the question often comes up, “Does organic mean no pesticides?” The simple answer is no — organic producers of all sizes also use a variety of chemicals to control weeds and bugs on their farms. This article contains a list of organic pesticides approved by the United States Department of Agriculture for use on non-conventional farms.
The decisions about which substances are allowed under the USDA’s National Organic Program are made by a board that includes organic growers, handlers, retailers, environmentalists, scientists, USDA-accredited certifying agents, and consumer advocates. Contrary to popular belief, pesticides approved for use on organic farms do include some synthetic substances, though the vast majority are natural toxins. That said, it should be clear that not all natural toxins are permitted — for example, strychnine and arsenic are natural pesticides but are not allowed to be used in organic farming and gardening.
One of the most long controversial natural pesticides, the insecticide Rotenone, was removed from the Federal Register listing allowable organic pesticides in January 2019. Rotenone, which is derived from the roots of plants from the Leguminosae family, is highly toxic, and concerns had long been growing about the damage it was doing to the environment.
In addition to the limits on synthetic pesticides, genetic engineering is not allowed in organic production. To meet the USDA organic regulations, farmers and processors must show they aren’t using GMOs (in this case, meaning high-tech precision plant breeding techniques) and that they are protecting their products from contact with substances associated with GMOs from farm to table.
Just because a pesticide product is natural doesn’t mean it is less toxic than its synthetic counterpart. The dose, frequency of application, and mode of action all contribute to toxicity, and the severity is determined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
And just because organic pesticides (or any pesticide, for that matter) is used during the growing or harvesting of food doesn’t mean that those pesticides will be found on the fruit, vegetable, or other food item when it’s ready to be bought and consumed. Produce and other products go through detailed cleaning and processing, and even at home, all fruits and veggies should be washed before consumption (contaminants such as dirt can happen at most stages of the farm-to-fork food chain).
Below are many of the substances, both synthetic and non-synthetics, used in organic farming and gardening (this list includes the rule update that was finalized in January 2019). These roughly 900 substances can be sold under a variety of brand names (there are thousands of possibilities), which are further detailed in the OMRI Generic Materials List. According to the University of Wisconsin, most organic pesticides that you’re going to find available are insecticides, although there are some fungicides and herbicides also available.
A complete list of allowed synthetic substances and prohibited natural substances can be found here.
List of major pesticides allowed in organic farming
- Bacillus subtilis
- Bacillus thuringiensis
- Beauveria bassiana
- Boric acid: Structural pest control, no direct contact with organic food or crops.
- Coniothyrium minitans
- Copper: Copper hydroxide, copper oxide, copper oxychloride, includes products exempted from EPA tolerance, provided that copper-based materials must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation in the soil and shall not be used as herbicides.
- Copper sulfate: As a parasiticide, algicide, or plant disease control, application rates are limited to levels that do not increase baseline soil test values for copper over a timeframe agreed upon by the producer and accredited certifying agent.
- Corn gluten
- Cydia pomonella granulosis
- Diatomaceous earth
- Gibberellic acid
- Horticultural vinegar
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Lime sulfer: Including calcium polysulfide
- Minerals such as elemental sulfur, bicarbonate, or kaolin clay
- Myrothecium verrucaria
- Non-detergent insecticidal soaps: As a pesticide, fungicide, or algaecide for food crops
- Oils, including petroleum, vegetable, and fish oils: Types include dormant, suffocating, and summer oils
- Peracetic acid: For use to control fire blight bacteria. Also permitted in hydrogen peroxide formulations at a concentration of no more than 6% as indicated on the pesticide product label
- Pheromones and pheromone traps
- Plant-derived substances such as neem, caraway oil, seed fennel, quassia, or ryania
- Pyrethrins
- Ryania/Ryanodine
- Sabadilla
- Spinosad
- Streptomycin sulfate and tetracycline
- Sticky traps
- Vitamin D3: As a rodencide
What this means for the organic producer
Although organic tends to promote alternative pest management solutions ahead of spraying or other chemical approaches, organic food production does use a large number of crop protection products. That said, organic operations must comply with the USDA organic regulations when using pesticides or other chemicals on their operations.
The USDA breaks it down as such:
- In organic crop production, nonsynthetic (natural) substances are allowed unless specifically prohibited and synthetic substances are prohibited unless specifically allowed (§§ 205.601 – 205.602)
- In organic livestock production, nonsynthetic (natural) substances are allowed unless specifically prohibited and synthetic substances are prohibited unless specifically allowed (§§ 205.603 – 205.604)
- In organic handling production, nonagricultural synthetic, nonagricultural nonsynthetic (natural), and nonorganic agricultural substances are only allowed if included on the National List (§§ 205.605 – 205.606)
This article was originally published in April 2018 and was updated in 2019, 2022, and 2025. If there are any corrections or updates that are missing, please email us at editor@agdaily.com.
