2024-12-22T08:42:59-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150150925/pope-francis-greens-vatican-gardens Sean Joyner 2019-08-11T12:00:00-04:00 >2021-07-24T20:16:04-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/f1/f19fcd60ab0cfea8d909a35dc492961d.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The head of the Vatican&rsquo;s extensive gardens has announced an initiative, already underway, to totally eliminate the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The use of chemical substances at the 37-acre Vatican Gardens has fallen by 96-percent since an effort to reduce the use of these toxic substances was started back in 2017.&nbsp;</p> <p>"Under the initiative, the Vatican Gardens has adopted the use of organic products to eliminate destructive insects, and has changed its strategy so as to help the plants help themselves," writes Aleteia editor, Zelda Caldwell.</p>