Atmospheric pesticide drift and the integrity of organic supply chains: Pathways, risks, and regulatory gaps

Organic farming, defined by rigorous adherence to ecological principles and the prohibition of synthetic inputs, has expanded rapidly in response to consumer demand for environmental sustainability and food safety. However, the integrity of this sector, here defined along four interrelated dimensions of chemical purity, certification compliance, consumer trust, and economic viability, is increasingly threatened by the recurring detection of synthetic pesticide residues in certified organic produce. This disjunction between regulatory standards and chemical reality erodes the “zero-tolerance” expectation held by consumers (a marketing and perceptual construct rather than a regulatory one) and poses a serious risk to the credibility of organic labeling. Atmospheric pesticide drift from adjacent conventional operations is identified as a major contamination pathway. Through spray-droplet transport, volatilization, and long-range particulate-bound deposition, pesticides can travel considerable distances before depositing on non-target organic crops, a process that can be quantitatively described by regulatory drift models (e.g., AgDRIFT, AGDISP) and by atmospheric boundary-layer physics. This phenomenon converts environmental contamination into a governance and equity problem, as organic producers, and especially smallholders in low- and middle-income countries, disproportionately bear the financial and reputational costs of pollution generated externally, exposing a critical deficiency in current regulatory frameworks. These dynamics create a fundamental tension around the long-term viability of organic farming in chemically intensive landscapes.
This review synthesizes current research on airborne pesticides as a primary contamination pathway, systematically distinguishing drift-driven contamination from legacy soil pollution and supply-chain contamination, and examines how atmospheric conditions, landscape configuration, regulatory architecture, and global trade flows intersect to jeopardize the authenticity of the organic supply chain. It further evaluates, on the basis of quantitative evidence where available, the effectiveness, cost, and feasibility of drift-mitigation strategies.