Jadam organic Farming & Gardening : The Way to Ultra-Low-Cost Agriculture, Make All-Natural Fertilizer, Pesticide and Microorganism Inputs Yourself

3. Differences between natural and chemical pesicides
JADAM pesticide is a natural pesticide – let me elaborate about this name
“natural” pesticide. JADAM pesticide is made from chemicals such as sulfur,
sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. ey are made from chemicals so
can be called chemical pesticides. e “real” chemical pesticides also have their
ingredients coming from naturally-occurring substance (petroleum) so can be
called natural pesticide. ere is nothing in nature that is not made from chem-
ical bonds. So everything natural is chemical. e earth, in fact the whole uni-
verse is “natural.” What is there in this nature that occurs outside nature? Why
then do we talk of natural, chemical and synthetic? ere is a simple criterion:
chemical and natural is divided by whether they are decomposed by mi-
crobes.
Chemical pesticides are called “chemical” because they are not fully
broken down by microbes. ey accumulate in soil and contribute to soil
degradation. I do not have any
sense of moral superiority be-
cause I study natural pesticides.
Whether natural or chemical,
pesticides kill nevertheless. I be-
lieve we have to ind method to
use less to kill and repel than kill. 
Synthetic surfactants con-
tained in chemical pesticides do
not break down over 80 percent
in nature. Synthetic surfactants
are also used in detergents,
shampoo and cosmetics.
When released to the environ-
Biodegradability comparison of soap and synthetic sur-
factant. Source: nsd.wikidot.com. 
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ment, they cut off sunlight and block oxy-
gen, killing many creatures in water. ey
are related to algal bloom. ey accumu-
late in the human body; cause cancer,
asthma, atopy or other chronic diseases.
ere is a lack of research into the effects
of surfactant in soil; but considering that
they are sprayed 100 times in 10 years, the
damage will not be small. JADAM does
not use this kind of surfactant. Surfactant
used in JADAM is made from plant oil
and potassium hydroxide. It is made in
the same method as natural soap. 99.9%
of natural soap were shown to biodegrade
in just 5 days. is is why JADAM’s pesti-
cides are called natural pesticides. 
JADAM natural pesticides all comply
with USDA National Organic Program.
ey are made from safe ingredients in-
cluded in the National List. Ingredients
permitted under organic production have
to belong to EPA’s Inert Ingredients List 3
or 4. Substances in list 3 have to be desig-
nated as food additives. Potassium hydrox-
ide and sodium hydroxide are food
additives and belong to EPA’s Inert 4B.
Inert 4B is described as “Other ingredients
for which EPA has sufficient information
to reasonably conclude that the current
USDA homepage has all the information and
regulation about organic farming in the US.
www.ams.usda.gov
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use pattern in pesticide products will not adversely affect public health or the
environment.” JADAM is using these safe 4B materials to develop pesticides
that minimize the damage to humans and nature. Under 4B are foods, cheese,
natural oil and supplements. Sulfur belongs to a slightly risky category of Inert
4A. In chemical pesticides, more toxic substances in Inert 1, 2, 3 are used.
e making processes of JADAM agent and JADAM sulfur are included in
the Appendix 1 “Permitted Substances” of Korea’s organic production regula-
tion law (Environmentally Friendly Agriculture and Fishery Law). ere was a
serious hardship in getting to this stage. In 2010, state agricultural agency had
approved all our inputs as permitted for organic production after reviewing
The National List exhibits materials permitted under organic production. 
www.ams.usda.gov USDA homepage has all the information and regulation about
organic farming in the US. www.ams.usda.gov. National List Sunset Dates from
USDA. Caustic potash and soda are included here. 
http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/NOP-SunsetDates.pdf
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them under national and international
standards. However, not long after that,
another division of the same government
agency suddenly removed JADAM inputs
from approval list and cancelled organic
certiication of our member farmers. As
the number of farmers making pesticides
and fertilizers on their own increased, the
sale of commercial ones were dropping.
Who else would have had the motivation
to persuade the government agencies? I
wrote letters to FIBL (Research Institute of
Organic Agriculture, Switzerland, Ger-
many and Austria) and OMRI (Organic
Materials Review Institute) and received
answers that our method and material
were in compliance with international
standards for organic production. I visited
government agencies and explained but
they would not listen. e battle went on
for two years and I was despondent. I real-
ized what great an enemy we were facing
and how much greater an enemy we were
to face. Finally, it was with the help of
Youngsu Hyeon, a JADAM member,
Donggeun Choi, president of the Korean
Federation of Sustainable Agriculture Or-
ganizations and Seondong Gim, a member
of the National Assembly that we were
Organic farming regulation of Korea. Making of
JADAM sulfur is included in conditions for sulfur
and JADAM wetting agent for plant oil. Herbs are
also specified. Caustic soda (4B) and caustic
potash (4B) became usable. www.law.go.kr
Organically-certified farmers can receive gov-
ernment subsidy of around 50% when pur-
chasing JS and JWA ingredients. Korean
pasque flower roots included. Apply in Jan to
Feb in local government offices. 
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able to win this ight. Mr. Gim took this matter to the parliamentary inspection
of the administration and reclaimed the organic approval of JADAM inputs. To
make things safer, he included the making processes of JADAM sulfur and wet-
ting agent in the law. Now, there are tens of thousands of farmers making and
using JADAM natural pesticide. Ministry of Agriculture even decided to subsi-
dize 50% of the cost of an organically certiied farmer purchasing ingredients
for JADAM inputs. Such change presents reason for hope.