As we continue this month’s theme of agricultural biodiversity, I interview Rex Dufour, entomologist and organic pest control expert with ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

Rex describes the role of insects in the agroecosystem, and emphasizes the importance of preserving biodiversity to control insect pests. As he explains it, beneficial insects can act as “little hammers”, keeping harmful insect populations under control through predation and parasitizing. The key question is how we design our managed ecosystems to maximize these interactions and reduce our reliance on costly agrochemicals.

Please have a listen, and thanks for stopping by.