Collaborating authors: Oliver Bach and Jasson Muir
In the field of sustainable and regenerative agriculture, balancing productivity and profitability with environmental resilience and human health remains a critical challenge. The overuse of synthetic chemical pesticides, while effective in controlling pests, has led to significant ecological, economic, and health repercussions. The Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) champions a transformative solution among value chain stakeholders: Integrated Pest Management (IPM). By reducing pesticide dependency, fostering biodiversity, and promoting ecosystem resilience, SAN’s initiatives align with global sustainability goals, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The Need for Change
Synthetic chemical pesticides have been a cornerstone of industrial agriculture, yet their long-term consequences are alarming:
Environmental Impact: Pesticides are one of the main causes of biodiversity loss, contaminating soil and water, disrupting aquatic ecosystems, and harming non-target species like pollinators and natural enemies of pests. Nearly 40% of pollinator species face extinction risks, threatening global food systems. Many of these chemicals persist in the environment, often accumulating in the food chain and leading to unintended ecological imbalances. Aquatic ecosystems suffer as pesticide runoff disrupts the reproductive cycles of fish and other aquatic organisms, reducing biodiversity and resilience.
Human Health Risks: Chronic pesticide exposure among farmworkers and exposed rural communities contributes to respiratory illnesses, neurological disorders, and cancer. Residues on food raise concerns for consumers, particularly vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women. Studies have linked pesticide exposure to developmental delays, endocrine disruption, reproductive disorders, cancer and other long-term health issues. In regions with limited regulatory oversight, the lack of protective equipment and training on correct pesticide use exacerbates these risks.
Economic Strain: Pests develop pesticide resistance over time, escalating costs for stronger treatments and regulatory compliance. Farmers find themselves caught in a pesticide treadmill—a vicious cycle of increasing pesticide use to combat resistant pests—which not only depletes their resources but also diminishes the effectiveness of control measures. This economic burden is particularly heavy for smallholder farmers, who often lack access to alternative pest management strategies and increasingly face market constraints.
The convergence of these environmental, health, and economic challenges highlights the urgency of transitioning to agroecological practices such as sustainable pest management. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) offers a path forward, combining scientific innovation, ecological principles, and community engagement to create resilient and regenerative agricultural systems. Its methods are well established and are supported by years of extensive scientific research.
Integrated Pest Management: A Holistic Approach
IPM offers a comprehensive framework to manage pests while minimizing ecological disruption. Core strategies include:
Biological Controls: Leveraging natural predators like parasitoid wasps, nematodes, and microbes such as Bacillus thuringiensis to target pests selectively. These biological agents provide a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic chemical pesticides by reducing pest populations without harming beneficial organisms and human health.
Cultural Practices: Enhancing biodiversity through agroecological practices such as intercropping and crop rotation to disrupt pest life cycles. Planting flower strips and native vegetation attracts beneficial insects, supports pollination, and improves soil health. Additionally, maintaining clean fields and timely pruning minimizes pest habitats and reduces outbreak risks.
Physical and Mechanical Controls: Employing barriers, traps, and manual removal methods to prevent pest access to crops. For instance, pheromone traps are used to monitor and control pest populations, while netting protects high-value crops from insects without relying on chemicals.
Technological Integration: Using drones, remote sensing, and predictive analytics to monitor pest dynamics and crop health. These tools enable precision interventions, such as targeted biological agent release or minimal synthetic chemical application, reducing environmental impact and costs.
Synthetic Chemical Controls as a Last Resort: When necessary, IPM emphasizes the use of low-toxicity, targeted pesticides applied in a controlled manner to minimize ecological disruption. The approach prioritizes synthetic chemicals with lower risks to non-target species and human health.
This multi-pronged strategy fosters resilient farmers and farming ecosystems and aligns with SAN’s broader mission to restore biodiversity and empower farming communities.
SAN’s Success Story: Malaysian Oil Palm Plantations
In Malaysia, SAN has partnered with member organizations wildasia.org and CABI, and the local partner Universiti Putra Malaysia, in a project funded by Ferrero to address bagworm and other insect pest outbreaks in oil palm plantations—a significant threat to sustainability and yield. The initiative incorporated several IPM components to combat the infestation effectively:
Conservation Biological Control: Assassin bugs (Sycanus dichotomus) and parasitoid wasp (Dolichogenidea metesae) populations which prey on bagworm larvae and eggs are favored by active habitat management with local plants and resources (i.e., food, water and shelter). Microbial agents such as Bacillus thuringiensis have also been recommended for use by oil palm farms to target pests selectively, ensuring minimal disruption to beneficial species.
Cultural Practices: Native leguminous plants, including Mucuna bracteata, were intercropped to improve soil health and provide habitats for beneficial insects. Flower strips featuring Senna sp., Clerodendrum paniculatum, Melastoma malabathricum, Coleus monostachyus, Urena lobata and Vitex sp. provide important resources to natural enemies of insect pests.
Farmer Training and Community Engagement: workshops and field demonstrations to teach plantation workers pest identification and IPM techniques were conducted by trained local champions to disseminate knowledge and foster a collaborative approach to pest management.
Learn more about our IPM Project in Malaysia: Identifying IPM and Biodiversity-friendly Agriculture Practices in Malaysian Oil Palm Production
Snapshots of sustainability: Explore SAN’s transformative work in Malaysia, where Integrated Pest Management reduces pesticide use, boosts biodiversity, and empowers farming communities through innovative, eco-friendly practices 🌱📸.
Key Outcomes:
A 40% reduction in pesticide use, significantly lowering environmental contamination and operational costs as witnessed by Wild Asia for oil palm smallholdings.
Biodiversity gains, with a 25% increase in populations of beneficial insects in areas with flower strips.
Enhanced soil health through nitrogen fixation by intercropped plants and increased organic matter and carbon content, leading to more stable and productive soil ecosystems.
Economic benefits, including a 20% reduction in pest control costs and stabilized yields, provide long-term financial sustainability for producers.
Improved Ecosystem Services: With healthier soils, thriving beneficial insect populations, and increased pollinator activity, the plantations experienced enhanced natural pest control and better resilience to environmental changes.
Community Empowerment: The training and engagement of local workers and farmers fostered a sense of ownership and knowledge transfer, enabling long-term adherence to sustainable practices.
This initiative highlights how IPM can transform industrial-scale plantations into models of sustainability and resilience, offering valuable lessons for other agricultural contexts.
Download SAN's resources on IPM here.
Lessons from Zambia and CABI’s BioProtection Portal
Complementing SAN’s efforts, CABI’s BioProtection Portal empowers farmers with access to environmentally friendly pest management solutions. Also, a CABI project in Zambia aims to increase food security and safety for smallholder farmers, by providing nature-based solutions to manage this devastating pest in maize crops.
These initiatives combine and promote:
Biological Control Agents: Through the portal, farmers gain access to information on natural predators, parasitoids, and microbial agents that offer effective, non-synthetic chemical pest control options. For example, in the Zambia project, parasitoid wasps, such as Telenomus remus, have been deployed to combat fall armyworm infestations – a major maize pest, reducing pest populations significantly.
Village-Based Biological Control: This project established village-level rearing facilities where farmers learned to cultivate and deploy biological agents like Telenomus remus locally. This approach not only reduced reliance on external suppliers but also built capacity within communities, fostering self-sufficiency and scalable pest management solutions. Farmers actively participated in the monitoring and release of agents, ensuring timely interventions.
Knowledge Sharing and Accessibility: The portal simplifies access to scientifically vetted pest management solutions by providing an easy-to-navigate platform available in multiple languages. This ensures that farmers, extension workers, and agricultural stakeholders can make informed decisions tailored to their specific contexts.
Impact on Agricultural Productivity: The combination of biological controls and improved accessibility to pest management resources has yielded tangible benefits in Zambia. Maize yields increased by an average of 20%, while synthetic chemical pesticide use decreased by up to 50%, mitigating environmental and health risks.
Learn more about CABI's project here: Village-based biological control of fall armyworm in Zambia. Visit CABI's BioProtection Portal here.
Scaling the Portal's Success Globally
SAN is an active member of the CABI BioProtection Portal, reflecting its commitment to providing farmers worldwide with access to sustainable pest management solutions. The portal, a digital platform designed to promote the use of environmentally friendly biological control agents, offers extensive resources to SAN's network of farmers and partners. By joining this initiative, SAN strengthens its ability to:
Expand Knowledge Sharing: As a contributor to the portal, SAN shares insights from its global projects, including success stories like the Malaysian oil palm IPM initiative, helping other regions adopt similar approaches.
Facilitate Accessibility: The portal enhances SAN’s outreach by providing farmers with scientifically validated alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides, accessible in multiple languages and tailored to diverse agricultural conditions.
Build Collaborative Networks: Participation in the portal allows SAN to collaborate more closely with other stakeholders, including research institutions and private sector partners, to use research results to accelerate the adoption of IPM practices globally.
Promote Sustainability: By integrating SAN’s on-the-ground expertise with the portal’s digital tools, farmers gain free access to practical, eco-friendly solutions that align with global sustainability goals.
SAN’s involvement in the BioProtection Portal exemplifies its commitment to leveraging knowledge, technology and partnerships to create resilient and sustainable agricultural systems worldwide.
Policy and Global Impact
SAN’s initiatives contribute directly to international sustainability targets:
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: SAN's work in halving pesticide impacts by 2030 aligns with this framework's ambitious goals to reduce biodiversity loss and promote ecological restoration. By advocating for nature-based solutions, SAN contributes to global biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SAN’s initiatives advance SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by improving agricultural productivity and food security through sustainable practices. Similarly, SDG 15 (Life on Land) benefits from SAN’s focus on restoring biodiversity and promoting sustainable use of ecosystems.
Industry Collaboration: By engaging with private sector stakeholders, SAN ensures that sustainability practices permeate supply chains. Multistakeholder partnerships with companies committed to environmental stewardship help scale IPM adoption globally, influencing market standards and consumer expectations.
Capacity Building and Education: SAN’s training programs equip farmers, extension workers, and local leaders with the tools and knowledge to implement IPM effectively. This capacity-building approach ensures the sustainability and longevity of pest management solutions.
By integrating these strategies, SAN demonstrates that sustainable pest management is not only achievable but essential for creating resilient regenerative agricultural systems and meeting international commitments.
A Call to Action
SAN’s work exemplifies how integrated pest management can be both practical and transformative. By combining science, community engagement, and innovative technologies, SAN paves the way for a future where agriculture thrives in harmony with nature.
Explore SAN’s Biodiversity Restoration initiatives and join us in advancing sustainable agriculture worldwide. Together, we can make a lasting impact on global food systems and ecological health.
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