I. 2008 Update on IPM and Sustainable Ag Certification
Six sustainable agriculture certification programs reported certifying more than 31.4 million U.S. acres and 246 million acres worldwide in 2008. These six programs include the Forest Stewardship Council, Rainforest Alliance, Food Alliance, Protected Harvest, Red Tomato's Eco-Apple program and Central Coast Vineyard Team. Products from wood to bananas to potatoes wear eco-labels from these programs, signifying that production was evaluated by independent third-parties against specific criteria including IPM.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited certifiers, including Rainforest Alliance, certified 3.3 million U.S. forest product acres in 2008, bringing total certified acres to 26.6 million. Internationally, FSC certification reached the 100 million hectare mark, or approximately 247 million acres across 79 countries. The value of FSC-labeled sales is now estimated at over 20 billion USD.
Rainforest Alliance's Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) certifies IPM-produced goods from outside the U.S. Based in New York City, SAN certifies coffee, tea, bananas, cocoa and citrus exports that support economies, cultures and environments in developing countries. In 2008, the program certified 674,362 acres in 22 countries. New crops were also certified by SAN in 2008 including grapes, kiwis, onions and mangos.
Food Alliance, the largest North American certifier of dairy, fruits, vegetables, beef and other products certified an additional 800,000 acres in 2008, raising the total number of certified acres to 5.7 million. This year Food Alliance set a precedent by awarding certification to Pride Packing Co.; the first company to be certified throughout its entire supply, process and distribution chain. Also new this year is a certification standard that applies to goats (both meat and wool production) covering a wide variety of animal welfare issues including animal health and nutrition, handling practices and facilities, pasture management, nutrient management, pest and weed management and hazard reduction and sanitation.
In 2008, Protected Harvest certified approximately 2,000 acres of Wisconsin Healthy Grown Potatoes and, under "Lodi Rules", 10,000 acres of California wine grapes. In the Healthy Grown program, a 44% increase in higher IPM scores was reported this year -- the largest increase in improved IPM scores reported since the program's inception in 2000. The Lodi Rules program saw six wineries marketing 19 wines with a certification label on their bottles in 2008.
The Northeast Eco Apple program, operated by Red Tomato, a non-profit marketing agent based in Massachusetts, and the IPM Institute, certified over 600 acres in 9 orchards in 2008. Red Tomato's marketing strategies helped sell over $2 million USD of Eco Apple certified apples in 2008!
Finally, a new certification program was launched in 2008. The Central Coast Vineyard Team successfully completed its pilot certification program with 14 California vineyards, totaling 3,200 certified acres. With the pilot program complete, these standards will be finalized and implemented for the 2009 Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Vineyard Certification Program.
In addition to these six certification programs, SYSCO Corporation's Sustainable Agriculture/IPM Initiative continues to encourage its suppliers to improve their environmental impacts. More than 70 suppliers, representing 160 producer processing facilities, 4,179 growers and more than 600,000 acres, participated in the program in 2008. SYSCO's initiative requires an annual third-party audit of producer and processor practices but does not provide certification or an eco-label. Since 2006, SYSCO suppliers have reduced nutrient applications by more than 10 million pounds, avoided approximately 870,000 pounds of pesticide active ingredient applied and recycled over 45 million pounds of materials. This year SYSCO Corporation was honored with the EPA Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) Champion Award, recognizing its efforts to reduce risks to human health through IPM.
For links to many of these programs and more information, visit http://www.ipminstitute.org/links.htm.
II. Join the Effort to Advance IPM in Schools Nationwide
What does IPM have to do with your child's education? Surprisingly, quite a lot! Research and demonstration projects show that IPM schools have up to 90% fewer pest problems and pest-related allergens, and significantly less pesticide use and pesticide residues on exposed surfaces.
Children are more vulnerable to both pests and pesticides. Asthma, which affects six percent of children nationally and up to 25% in some urban centers, can result from exposure to pests and pesticides. Children are also more likely to contact surfaces to which pesticides are applied in conventional pest control programs, and their developing bodies and systems are more vulnerable to the effects of exposure.
The new Pest Management Strategic Plan for IPM in schools, developed and being implemented by a diverse workgroup of professionals with support from the USDA IPM Program, the four USDA Regional IPM Centers and the US E.P.A., aims for full implementation of IPM in all of our schools by 2015. The premise is that we know full well how to achieve high-level IPM in schools - our task is to improve coordination to make it happen in all of our schools. We need to expand our core group of "change agents" to include leaders in school administration, operations, food service, school health, pest management professionals and others in key implementation roles to fully integrate IPM into the school community.
Dawn H. Gouge, urban entomologist with the University Arizona and co-editor of the plan, commented, "Schools adopting IPM improve the learning environment of their students. With this come significant health benefits and the potential for higher academic achievement. School staff and faculty report cleaner, better maintained facilities and better communication within the school community."
Improvement in pest management practices for our schools is a necessary and realistic goal. We need your help! Take a look at the plan to learn how you can contribute to the health of our children. The school environment is also a great opportunity to make both students and staff aware of the benefits of IPM in all aspects of their lives - let's work together to make it happen.
To view the plan, visit http://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2015.htm, and send your comments to schoolipm2015@ipminstitute.org. We want to hear from you!
III.
Green Shield Certified: A Smart Approach to Pest Control
How do you find an IPM provider for structural pest control when you need one? How can providers let their customers know they deliver a high standard of IPM? Green Shield Certified is a new, nationwide option designed to meet those needs.
Launched in June of 2007, Green Shield Certification emphasizes effective, prevention-based pest control, reducing reliance on pesticides. Green Shield Certified professionals seek out the root causes of pest problems rather than relying on short-term chemical application fixes.
For example, did you know that by simply installing effective door sweeps on exterior doors, you can reduce pest problems by up to 65%? Without an effective seal between the bottom of the door and the door sill, the doorway is wide open to pests of all kinds including mice which can squeeze through an opening the size of a pencil diameter.
Green Shield Certified service providers must prove they can deliver IPM. They undergo an extensive on-site evaluation by an IPM professional addressing more than 60 stringent criteria for heightened pest management performance.
Green Shield Certified was officially launched in September 2007. The following companies have been certified for all pest management services:
- PESTEC, San Francisco, CA
- Envirosafe, Wyoming, MI
Companies who offer Green Shield Certified services on request:
- Arrow Extermination, Long Island, NY
- Assured Environments, New York, NY
- Atlantic Pest Solutions Companies, Kennebunkport, ME
- Black Widow Termite and Pest Control, Valley Stream, NY
- Bullfrog Pest Management, Inc., Hicksville, NY
- Colby Pest Control Service, Fullerton, CA
- Diehard Exterminating, New York, NY
- Eden Advanced Pest Technologies, Olympia, WA
- Elite Pest Management, Roseville, MI
- Express Pest Control, McKinney, TX
- J.C. Ehrlich Pest Control - Albany Branch, Albany, NY
- Magic Exterminating, Flushing, NY
- Peachtree Pest Control, Norcross, GA
- Suburban Exterminating, Smithtown, NY
- Witt Pest Management, Pittsburgh, PA
Information on the 18 companies participating in Green Shield Certified is available at www.greenshieldcertified.org.
For more information on Green Shield Certified, visit www.greenshieldcertified.org or contact us at 888-GRN-SHLD (476-7453) or info@greenshieldcertified.org.
IV.
New partnerships form between NRCS and University faculty in the Midwest
IPM can deliver many long-term benefits including improved crop yield and quality, and reduced pesticide use and hazards. However, the start-up investment can be considerable including insect monitoring traps, equipment to monitor weather conditions, software to translate those conditions into actionable information, fees for consultants and scouts, and the time it takes to learn the IPM ropes. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to provide growers with financial support to adopt best practices that protect the environment, including pest management.
Drs. Michael Brewer of Michigan State University and Tom Green of the IPM Institute co-lead the "Grower Incentive for IPM" Working Group which works to foster new partnerships between IPM professionals and NRCS staff in North Central states and increase participation in EQIP region-wide. With financial support and guidance from the working group, members in Indiana, Iowa and Ohio are coordinating and facilitating meetings between these two sectors to improve access to financial and technical incentives for growers adopting IPM.
Spearheading expanded access in these three states are: Ricky Foster (Purdue University, Indiana) and Tony Bailey (Indiana NRCS), Jerry DeWitt (Iowa State University) and Barbara Stewart (Iowa NRCS), and Jim Jasinski (Ohio State University), Mark Scarpitti and Angel Arehart (Ohio NRCS). These projects are benefiting from pioneering work in both Wisconsin and Michigan where tree fruit and other specialty crop growers have been participating in EQIP for several years. Wisconsin also has its first apple grower enrolled in NRCS's Conservation Stewardship Program.
More information on these projects is available at the Working Group's website, http://www.ipm.msu.edu/work-group/home.htm, in the "Items of Interest" box.
V. IPM STAR Update
How do you know if your school or childcare center practices safe and effective pest control? IPM STAR Certification indicates a school's commitment to the health and safety of their students and staff through responsible pest management.
Since June 2008, 14 new school districts, including United States Army facilities in Japan, Korea, Alaska and Hawaii, have achieved IPM STAR Certification:
- Plano Independent School District
- Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District
- Wells-Ogunquit Community School District
- Bellevue School District
- Seaford Union Free School District
- Ithaca City School District
- USAG Alaska, Fort Greely Child and Youth Services
- USAG Alaska, Fort Wainwright Child and Youth Services
- USAG Alaska, Fort Richardson Child and Youth Services
- USAG Daegu Child and Youth Services
- USAG Humphreys Child and Youth Services
- USAG Hawaii Child and Youth Services
- USAG Japan, Camp Zama Child and Youth Services
- USAG Yongsan Child and Youth Services
To date, 42 school districts have achieved IPM STAR Certification and the number is growing. Get your school on board! For guidelines on implementing an IPM program at your childcare or education facility, visit http://www.ipminstitute.org/school.htm.
VI. IPM Institute receives 2008 PESP Champion award
In December 2008, the IPM Institute was one of six organizations selected to receive the US EPA's national Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) Champion Award. This recognition is awarded to organizations that proactively work to reduce pesticide risks to humans and the environment, and improve the economic incentives for IPM. Additional recipients in 2008 include the Central Coast Vineyard Team, Highlands Soil and Water, North American Pollinator Association, the Sarasota County Government in Florida and the SYSCO Corporation.
To be considered for the award, organizations submit a plan, or PESP Strategy, for reducing pesticide risk and exposure. These strategies, in conjunction with a two-page nomination document, were evaluated based on potential to reduce impacts on environmental and human health, improvements to economic incentives for IPM and their participation in IPM education and outreach.
The IPM Institute also received the PESP Champion award in 2004 and 2005. Click here to view the Institute's PESP Strategy.
VII. Attend the upcoming 2009 International IPM Symposium!
The Sixth International IPM Symposium, scheduled for March 24-26, 2009 in Portland, OR is quickly approaching. The 2006 Symposium attracted more than 650 individuals from 23 countries.
This year's event includes over 60 mini-symposia and scores of guest speakers with sessions addressing both agricultural and urban IPM, communicating and marketing IPM benefits and much, much more. Registration for the 2009 IPM Symposium will open January 15, 2009.
For more information on the IPM Symposium, to register or to find out how you can contribute, visit http://www.ipmcenters.org/IPMSymposium09/. The all-volunteer organizing committee includes more than 40 IPM professionals.
Sponsors and contributors to date include NSF Center for IPM, the four Regional IPM Centers, Southern Plant Diagnostic Network, Northern Plant Diagnostic Network, USDA Risk Management Agency, Armed Forces Pest Management Board, USDA Office of Pest Management Policy, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, US EPA, USAID IPM Collaborative Research Support Program, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, University of California Statewide IPM Program, Center for Disease Control, IR-4 Program, CropLife America, DelMonte, Dow AgroSciences, General Mills, Gylling Data Management, Lonza, Midwest Food Processors Association, Monsanto, Orkin, Insect Resistance Action Council (US), Plant and Insect Ecosystems of the Entomological Society of America, Trece Inc., SYSCO Corporation, Valent and Whitmire Micro-Gen Research Labs Inc.
VIII. Join the IPM Institute today!
Like what you're reading? Join the many others who contribute to the effort by becoming a member. Members receive IPM in the Marketplace editions and help support our efforts to reduce hazards from both pests and pesticides, and improve public awareness and appreciation for Integrated Pest Management. A basic membership is only $35 per year, click here for more information.
