SQFI Supports Pollinator Health Through Integrated Pest Management

By Carey Allen, SQFI Vice President, Business Development & Strategy 

Pollinators, both insects and animals, are a critical link in our sustainable food system. According to the USDA (USDA - The Importance of Pollinators), about one-third of crops produced globally rely on insect or animal pollinators to reproduce and produce food crop. Protecting pollinators from environmental harm is a growing concern among consumers, government institutions, NGOs, and the food retailer community. Environmental harm from pest control chemical applications, air and water pollution, loss of habitat, and invasive species threaten the survival of critical pollinators and the productivity of our agriculture industry.

Management of pests, whether they be insects or animals, fungus, molds, bacteria, or weeds, is a major challenge to balance the health of pollinators while reducing risk of crop losses and food safety hazards. Mitigating harm to pollinators and crop production from pests are necessary elements of a system called Integrated Pest Management. SQF certification encourages an actionable framework to approach pest control through an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system and responsible use of pesticides.

Our new SQF Integrated Pest Management Sustainability Addendum was created in response to Walmart and other retailers’ drive for suppliers to improve pollinator health. Developed by subject matter experts, benchmarked by the IPM Institute, and accepted by many retailers, including Walmart, to meet pollinator protection goals, the addendum is used alongside the SQF Food Safety Code for certification. This helps farms implement these progressive and economically beneficial practices in the context of their food safety system, and implementation success is evaluated during the annual food safety certification audit.

Integrated Pest Management, as a system approach, relies on a competent assessment of the needs of the crop, the season, the weather, the harvest cycle, the pests in the environment, and conditions that may lead to new pests and detrimental effects needing correction or prevention. IPM is a system used to control pests using a variety of tools and techniques, including biological controls (killer ladybugs, disease-resistant plant varieties), physical controls (barriers, crop rotation), and chemical controls (agrochemicals). The intent of IPM is to identify and utilize the least adverse impact methods available to control pests and produce the most economically sustainable crop. Responsible use through IPM practice is intended to ensure all options for control are considered, and agrochemicals are a part of the solution, but not necessarily the favored or only solution. Intimate knowledge of the ecosystem allows for the precise application of control methods, which is the heart of utilizing the IPM system approach.

Farms running an integrated pest management system may use consultants or full-time expert resources, but often utilize competent professionals available from the local university or state extension agency to increase the efficacy of their program and save costs. Regardless, the farm operators are responsible for understanding the applicable regulations relating to pesticide use and the appropriate methods of control for the product. Establishing a deep understanding of the farm’s ecosystem to establish an effective IPM system brings into greater focus the importance of protecting the habitats of pollinators as well as beneficial organisms in the soil and surrounding environment. It’s an investment in the long-term productivity of the farm and its resources, and each operation adopting IPM adds to the total effort toward food system sustainability.

Learn more about the SQF Code and how the SQF Integrated Pest Management Sustainability Addendum for pest control can provide a structure to strengthen your IPM program. 

Sustainability Addendum