A two-year study by University of California researchers says that hedgerows, the strips of vegetation along the edges of fields, take up so little space that they are not a shelter for rodents or a source of food-borne pathogens. The findings, which are consistent with findings in a 2015 UC-Davis study, are timely because the FDA is pushing farmers and food processors to reduce the chances of food contamination.
Rachel Long, co-author of the study, published in the journal Crop Protection, said, “The presence of hedgerows does increase wildlife diversity but does not increase wildlife intrusion into fields and, more importantly, does not increase the prevalence of animals carrying food-borne pathogens.” A University of California release says that hedgerows “provide habitat and floral resources for beneficial insects, such as bees and natural enemies, that help with pollination and biocontrol of pests in adjacent crops. Hedgerows also help enhance biodiversity — especially for insect-eating birds — help reduce wind and soil erosion, and protect water quality.”
The FDA, as part of implementing the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, encourages growers to co-manage food safety, conservation, and environmental protection. In a 2015 study, University of California scientists found that E. coli contamination of fresh produce “increased by an order of magnitude from 2007 to 2013 despite extensive vegetation clearing at farm field margins.”
The University of California study on hedgerows is available here for free until March 31.