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Chapter 39 - From IPM to organic and sustainable agriculture
- Edited by Edward B. Radcliffe, University of Minnesota, William D. Hutchison, University of Minnesota, Rafael E. Cancelado
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- Book:
- Integrated Pest Management
- Published online:
- 01 September 2010
- Print publication:
- 11 December 2008, pp 489-505
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- Chapter
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Summary
Agricultural production is moving from less to more sustainable practices. This is a response to changing cultural values that promote environmental stewardship and ensure a healthy planet for future generations. Producers supply and consumers demand a product that is economical and uncomplicated. Consequently, most agriculture is a monoculture, an oversimplified system where crops grow in neat rows with little genetic diversity. This structure invites pest and disease problems and urges over-reliance on synthetic pesticides. IPM, then, is an essential tool in reducing dependence on pesticides because IPM balances economic and environmental interests through biological and chemical controls (see Chapter 1). Pesticide-treated products and industrially driven systems are now less appealing because of greater attention paid to food quality and agricultural practices, a fact underscored by the 20% annual increase in organic food consumption in comparison to a 2% to 3% increase for industrially produced foods (US Department of Agriculture, 2005, 2007; National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2006). This rising public awareness makes organic and sustainable agriculture increasingly attractive, challenging existing IPM methods to bridge our desire to grow crops outside their natural habitats and our want of a healthier environment.
Definitions
Comprehensible definitions for the terms organic and sustainable were in order given the host of organizations actively concentrating agricultural, academic and marketing efforts in these areas. In 1990, the US Farm Bill and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the National Organic Program (NOP) defined organic production as a “system that is managed in accordance with the Act and regulations in this part to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity” (US Congress, 1990; Pollack & Lynch, 1991).