Can crops grow without pesticides? Yield-loss surveys and the spread of organic farming
In plots without pesticides, yields fell by anywhere from 20% to total loss, depending on the crop
In short
Crops can be grown, but for some the harvest falls sharply. In a survey of plots grown without pesticides (1991–92), yields fell by 28% for rice (paddy) and 63% for cabbage, and by 97% for apples and 100% for peaches.
In practice, organic farming, which uses no pesticides (or only those allowed under organic JAS), is carried out on 0.9% of Japan’s cropland (end of fiscal 2024, 39,800 ha). The government has set a target of expanding it to 25% by 2050.
How much does the harvest fall without pesticides?
The Japan Plant Protection Association compared plots where pesticides were used as usual with plots where none were used, at test sites across Japan.
For some crops the fall in shipment value is larger than the fall in yield (for wheat, yield fell 36% while shipment value fell 66%).
2008 compilation (yield loss caused by pests and diseases)
| Crop | Average | Maximum | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| paddy rice | 24% | 100% | 0% |
| soybean | 30% | 49% | 7% |
| apple | 97% | 100% | 90% |
| cabbage | 67% | 100% | 10% |
| daikon radish | 39% | 100% | 4% |
| cucumber | 61% | 88% | 11% |
Yield loss if weeds are not removed (same compilation)
| Crop | Average | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| wheat | 13% | 41% |
| soybean | 12% | 30% |
| corn (maize) | 17% | 54% |
| cabbage | 18% | 69% |
| onion | 31% | 57% |
| carrot | 37% | 88% |
The 2008 compilation adds trials from 2004–06 to the 1991–92 survey (from MAFF’s IPM seminar material). The average for rice (paddy) differs between the sources: 28% in the 1991–92 survey and 24% in the 2008 compilation. Damage varies widely, from 0% to 100%, by year and location. The original report (Japan Plant Protection Association, 1993) is not public; the figures are those quoted in materials from government agencies.
The spread of organic farming
The government’s Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems (MIDORI Strategy, 2021) sets targets for 2050: expand organic farming to 25% of cropland (1 million ha) and cut the use of chemical pesticides (risk-weighted) by 50%. The interim targets for 2030 are 63,000 ha of organic farming and a 10% cut in chemical pesticides.
Even in organic farming, pesticides specified under organic JAS (copper products, sulfur, BT products and others) may be used, but only when pests or diseases could spread suddenly and cannot be prevented in other ways → What does “pesticide-free” mean?
If you want to try organic or specially cultivated vegetables
Because organic farming covers less than 1% of cropland, it can be hard to find at a nearby store. Some home-delivery services handle organic JAS and specially cultivated vegetables together.
Sources
- Kyushu Regional Agricultural Administration Office, lecture material p. 6, “Reduction in yield and shipment value when grown without pesticides” (Japan Plant Protection Association surveys, 1991 and 1992; from Nagasaki Prefecture’s food safety and security risk-communication materials) (Japanese)
- MAFF, fiscal 2025 IPM seminar material p. 3 (from the Japan Plant Protection Association, “Crop losses caused by pests, diseases and weeds,” June 2008) (Japanese)
- MAFF, “Area under organic farming in Japan” (June 2026) (Japanese)
- MAFF, “Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems (MIDORI Strategy)” (May 2021) and list of KPI results (Japanese)
- MAFF, “Use of chemical pesticides (risk-weighted) under the MIDORI Strategy” (Japanese)
- Japanese Agricultural Standard for Organic Plants, JAS 1605:2024 (Japanese)
Last checked 2026-10-01. Systems and figures change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.