Providing safe food

Americans are blessed with the safest, most abundant and most economical food in the world. And integrated pest management lays a very firm foundation upon which US farmers and the food processing industries can continue to deliver high quality food to dinner tables across the nation.

IPM concepts help to reduce the need for applications of toxic chemical pesticides. This means that food crops are exposed to fewer pesticide applications, and in many instances farm growers are able to use less toxic chemicals to achieve the goals established by the IPM program.

Improvements in plant genetics have helped to produce new crop varieties that are more resistant to invading pest populations. And cultural methods such as crop rotation provides yet other tools for the IPM program that works to ensure that Americans continue to have access to ample, yet safe food supplies.

Although there is no standardized certification for foods that have been produced under IPM strategies, more and more Americans are becoming acquainted with program benefits. Since IPM is a complex pest control process, not merely a series of practices, it is impossible to use one IPM definition for all foods and all areas of the country. Many individual commodity growers, for such crops as potatoes and strawberries, are working to define what IPM means for their crop and region, and IPM-labeled foods are available in limited areas. With definitions, growers could begin to market more of their products as IPM-Grown, giving consumers another choice in their food purchases.

IPM helps farmers produce better quality food and fiber products, provides for better food safety standards, and helps to lower levels of anti-nutritional and allergenic substances previously found in foods. At the same time, IPM helps to increase productivity of existing farm land which reduces the pressure to farm marginal land and fragile ecosystems. It improves agricultural sustainability and eliminates some of the unnecessary agricultural inputs that in turn lowers the risk of disturbing the natural ecological balance.

In relation to crop production, application of IPM provides a basis for continued profitable production of food and fiber commodities with much less threat of environmental degradation or harmful residues in food. Employing principles of IPM in processing and distribution of commodities is an additional, important step in maintaining a safe and wholesome food supply.

The Texas IPM Foundation continues to work with its partners to address many food safety issues. Integrated pest management offers a feasible option to helping maintain the quality and safety of food.