Defence

Did you know that plants defend themselves from attack? If an acacia tree in Africa is being browsed by a giraffe, it will let off chemicals to warn its neighbours to infuse their leaves with toxins that make the leaves bitter. The same is true for plants and insects. The plants detect the saliva of the insects and release pheromones that attract the insects’ natural predators. But here’s the interesting thing: agro-industrial crops and commercial forests have lost their ability to defend themselves naturally from pests. Rather than simply apply more chemical pesticides, we need to restore nature’s balance.

— Wayne Visser

From Purpose Inspired: Reflections on Conscious Living, Volume 4. Buy on Lulu ↗