The IPM Institute’s Sustainable Food Group has received a grant from the Walmart Foundation to conduct a comprehensive landscape analysis to help accelerate the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices in key U.S. row crop systems. The project will assess the current state of IPM adoption and map networks of trusted advisors to identify key opportunities to reduce reliance on pesticides and improve environmental health.

The initiative will map how farmers make pest management decisions and examine the influence of the university extension agents, crop consultants, agronomists, and agricultural retailers they rely on for guidance. By understanding these networks and the incentives that shape them, the project will provide insight into the best opportunities to expand sustainable practices across agricultural regions.

“The transition to lower-risk, environmentally sound pest management is essential for building a more resilient food system,” said Christopher Stevenson, Executive Director of IPM Institute. “This grant helps us better understand farmer decision-making and pinpoint practical steps that protect ecosystems while strengthening farm businesses.”

Despite proven environmental and economic benefits, IPM adoption in row crops has lagged behind fruits and vegetables. In 2025, corn, soybean and wheat will be planted on over 220 million acres in the United States. A modest increase in IPM practices presents a vast opportunity to reduce pesticide use and risks to farm workers, the environment, and consumers.

“We know that trusted advisors play a key role in shaping the decisions farmers make,” said Ariel Larson, Department Director of the Sustainable Food Group at IPM Institute. “By uncovering where the barriers and opportunities lie, this research will generate practical recommendations to engage advisors and farmers to advance adoption of practices that reduce risk and build resilience.”

Findings will be published in a white paper offering strategic recommendations for future engagement, investment and collaboration. The report will highlight key advisory networks, opportunities to align financial and business incentives, and pathways for scaling sustainable pest management across U.S. agriculture.

To learn more about the project or connect with IPM Institute, visit ipminstitute.org.

About Walmart Foundation

Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. The Walmart.org team works to tackle key social and environmental issues relevant for the retail sector in collaboration with others to spark long-lasting systemic change and help people live better in the communities we serve.

To learn more, visit the Walmart Foundation website.

About the IPM Institute

Founded in 1998, IPM Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving sustainability in agriculture and communities. Through collaborative partnerships and science-based strategies, IPM Institute advances practices that reduce risks to human health and the environment while supporting biodiversity, climate resilience, water quality and soil health. The Institute’s work spans integrated pest management, sustainable and regenerative agriculture and other key sustainability challenges across the food system.

Soil & Climate Initiative (SCI) and IPM Institute of North America, Inc. are proud to announce a new partnership to advance sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices that foster healthy agroecosystems and support farm profitability and long-term resilience. This new collaboration reflects both organizations’ dedication to advancing stewardship and strengthening the agriculture system.

By joining forces, SCI and IPM Institute are opening the door to new opportunities that will strengthen support for farmers while integrating efforts to mitigate pesticide risk and improve soil health, biodiversity, water quality, and climate resilience. Through information exchange, thought leadership, and cooperative engagement, the organizations’ aligned efforts will generate new value for farmers and supply chain partners.

“This collaboration is the natural next step in our shared commitment to regenerative agriculture,” said Adam Kotin, Managing Director of SCI. “Our partnership with IPM Institute positions us to better support growers in implementing feasible, meaningful improvements, regardless of where they are in their regenerative journey.”

Previously, SCI and IPM Institute collaborated to develop the framework for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) planning and pesticide use and risk reduction in SCI’s Soil & Climate Health Commitment & Verification Standard. The standard provides farmers and supply chains with a science-based, third-party verified framework to enhance soil health, improve farm resilience, and demonstrate measurable sustainability outcomes that foster trust and create market opportunities.

The measurement approach SCI and IPM Institute developed for pesticide intensity calculations represents a significant advancement in agricultural sustainability standards. Unlike most certification programs that use binary restrictions, their system tracks active ingredients by EPA signal word categories—creating nuanced reduction pathways that acknowledge the realities of transitioning farms while maintaining rigorous environmental protection. This data-driven methodology enables producers to demonstrate measurable progress in synthetic input reduction, providing supply chain partners with transparent metrics that support both regenerative goals and practical farm management decisions.

Christopher Stevenson, Executive Director, IPM Institute, added, “We’re thrilled to partner with SCI to bring IPM and regenerative agriculture together at scale. Synthetic input reduction is a key pillar of regenerative systems that is often left out of the conversation. With this partnership, we’re equipped to integrate regenerative and IPM approaches in our work with food companies and supply chains to deliver synthetic input reduction, greater benefits for soil health, water quality, biodiversity and human health, while improving the farm’s bottom line. Our collaboration seeks to improves the resilience of our food system.”

This alliance marks a milestone in the missions of SCI and IPM Institute, combining their expertise to expand reach and deliver tangible value across the food supply chain. Farmers, food companies, and stakeholders are invited to join the effort to advance practices that protect ecosystems and create a more resilient, sustainable future for agriculture.

To learn more about SCI and IPM Institute visit soilclimateinitiative.org and ipminstitute.org. To explore opportunities for how your company can lead the way towards a more resilient food system that integrates IPM and regenerative practices, reach out to info@ipminstitute.org, or info@soilclimateinitiative.org

ABOUT

Soil & Climate Initiative (SCI) is a not-for-profit, farmer-first regenerative agriculture transition program with options for third-party verification. SCI empowers farmers, suppliers, food and fashion brands, investors, and landowners to scale regenerative agriculture management and maximize soil health outcomes, biodiversity, carbon storage, water quality, climate resiliency and farm economics. www.soilclimateinitiative.org

IPM Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving sustainability in agriculture and communities. Through collaborative partnerships and science-based strategies, IPM Institute advances practices that reduce risks to human health and the environment while supporting biodiversity, climate resilience, water quality, and soil health. The Institute’s work spans integrated pest management, sustainable and regenerative agriculture and other key sustainability challenges across the food system.

IPM Institute is excited to announce that the latest update to the Pesticide Risk Tool is live as of June 2025. This online decision-support tool helps growers, advisors and sustainability professionals evaluate risks related to pesticide use, enabling informed pest management decision-making and promoting healthier people, pollinators and ecosystems. 

Why the Pesticide Risk Tool? 

Pesticides can pose risks to human health, biodiversity and the broader environment. Making informed, science-based decisions that consider the various risks associated with pesticide use is key to adopting a robust Integrated Pest Management program, protecting natural resources and advancing sustainable agriculture. Choosing products with lower risks also improves farm worker health and safety, protects the health of farming communities and addresses consumer concerns about pesticide residues on food.  

The Pesticide Risk Tool was created to meet this need. Developed by the IPM Institute in collaboration with a team of scientists, the tool assesses pesticide risk across four key areas: consumer dietary risk, worker risk, pollinator risk and environmental risk (including to birds, small mammals, aquatic life, and others). 

Users can compare pesticide options, identify lower-risk alternatives and track progress toward reducing pesticide risk.  

What’s new in the updated Pesticide Risk Tool? 

• A streamlined user interface for faster, more intuitive navigation 

• Quick Product View enabling fast risk assessment for a product without setting up sites or blocks 

These updates make it easier to access important pesticide risk information and make informed decisions. Whether you’re a grower, advisor, or supply chain sustainability professional, the Pesticide Risk Tool is a valuable resource to support achieving your sustainability goals. 

Explore the Updated Tool 

To learn more and explore the latest features, visit pesticiderisk.org 

The Board of Directors of IPM Institute is proud to announce the appointment of Christopher Stevenson as the new Executive Director.  

Stevenson brings more than 15 years of leadership experience in mission-driven organizations, with a proven track record in advancing strategic growth, cultivating effective partnerships, and enhancing organizational strategy and engagement. He most recently served as Principal Partner at Citygate, LLC, where he consulted with mission-driven organizations on strategy, leadership development and market positioning. Prior to that, he spent nearly two decades with the Credit Union Executives Society (CUES), ultimately serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Learning Officer.  

“I am honored to join the IPM Institute as Executive Director. Its mission is both urgent and inspiring,” said Stevenson. “I look forward to building on the organization’s strong foundation, collaborating with our dedicated team and partners to drive innovative, practical solutions that create a measurable difference where it matters most—in our food systems, our environment, and our communities.”  

IPM Institute is dedicated to improving sustainability in agriculture and communities. Through collaborative partnerships and science-based strategies, the organization advances practices that reduce risks to human health and the environment while supporting biodiversity, climate resilience, water quality, and soil health. These goals are accomplished through a dedicated team that Stevenson will lead.  

Stevenson’s experience working with boards, developing impactful strategic initiatives, and managing complex stakeholder relationships equips him to effectively guide the organization in advancing its mission. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Christopher as Executive Director. The board is confident that his passion for our mission and stakeholders, purpose-driven focus, and track record of leading effective strategy will take IPM Institute to its next level of success and influence in our field,” said Tom Green, Board President. 

Operations Director, Kelly Adams, added, “The leadership team is very excited to work with Stevenson as we focus on organizational strategic planning and growth, enabling us to collectively and collaboratively expand the reach and impact of IPM Institute’s programs.”    

Stevenson holds an Executive MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, and Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is also a Certified Executive Coach and Certified Association Executive. 

He began his role as Executive Director in April 2025. 

About the IPM Institute  

Founded in 1998, the IPM Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving sustainability in agriculture and communities. Through collaborative partnerships and science-based strategies, IPM Institute advances practices that reduce risks to human health and the environment while supporting biodiversity, climate resilience, water quality, and soil health. The Institute’s work spans integrated pest management, sustainable and regenerative agriculture and other key sustainability challenges across the food system. 

Original Source: 

Global Glyphosate Study Reveals Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Cause Leukemia in Early Life

The two-day, in-person course is designed for pest management, municipal, state, university, public school and food safety personnel involved in rodent control.

The event will be held at the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Administration Building located at 2100 Leon C. Simon Dr., New Orleans, LA 70122. The dates for the Academy are September 14 and 15^th, 2022 from 8:00am to 4:30pm.  

The Urban Rodent Academy is packed with information about rodent biology, rodent disease, monitoring, trapping, urban rodent surveys and much more. The event will incorporate classroom-style presentations along with field training. 

Speakers participating are well known in the field of urban rodent control: 

M. Frye, Cornell University

T. Madere, City of New Orleans Mosquito Control 

N. Quinn, University of California, Agricultural and Natural Resources

D. Collins, Independent Pest Management Consulting, LLC

The cost for attending the academy is as follows:

$200 – Member of the Greater New Orleans Pest Management Association

$250 – Non-member registration  

$100 – Student 

To register, please use the following link:  Register Here!

Putting farmland aside for nature does not have a negative effect on food security, a study has found.

A 10-year project by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology revealed that nature-friendly farming methods boost biodiversity without reducing average yields.

Scientists spent a decade intensively monitoring the impacts of a large government-funded experiment at Hillesden, a 1,000-hectare commercial arable farm in Buckinghamshire. Beginning in 2005, this involved creating several wildlife habitats, including seed-bearing plants for birds, wildflowers for pollinators and tussocky grass margins to support a range of birds, insects and small mammals.

In the longest-running study of its kind, researchers succeeded in boosting numbers of wildlife essential for agricultural production such as pollinators and predators of crop pests. Numbers of some butterfly species including the gatekeeper and green-veined white doubled, and birds that usually feed on insects benefited from the shelter provided by hedges and grass margins, including the great tit, up 88%, and blue tit, up 73%.

They also found that overall yields at Hillesden were maintained – and enhanced for some crops – despite the loss of agricultural land for habitat creation. The areas taken out of production were difficult and unproductive to farm, and the other areas benefited from boosted pollinator numbers and pest-eating birds and insects.

This runs contrary to claims made by many politicians that new post-Brexit agri-environment schemes would be “paying farmers to produce less food” and would damage food security. Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor currently running to be prime minister, recently said he would “protect” farmers from rewilding their land for nature.

Jake Fiennes, the head of conservation at the Holkham estate in Norfolk and author of nature-friendly farming book Land Healer, said he was unsurprised by the results of the report.

He told the Guardian: “Historic policies in England tried to get us to produce food everywhere. But now we are realizing that we can increase our average yield by stopping growing food in areas of land that aren’t productive, and in these areas we can make space for nature. We know there are benefits from having more nature in the farm, we know we can improve farm biodiversity without affecting yields.

Fiennes said: “Take a field. If on the southern edge of that field you have a woodland, invariably the first 15 to 20 metres of that edge won’t produce the average yield, it’ll produce anything up to 50% of average. But when you have all the species that would benefit from that edge of woodland, it’s a no-brainer to give it to nature. This is the poorest land for food production, and when you are not focusing on that area you increase your average yield in the rest of the field.

“We know we have a biodiversity crisis, we know we have a climate crisis, we know the two are linked, and this is an opportunity to increase our yields as well as providing for nature.”

Dr. John Redhead of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and lead author of the research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, said: “Investigating changes in populations over a significant period of time, and comparing these with other sites, means we can be confident that agri-environment options can bring long-term term benefits for bird and butterfly populations.

“Hillesden is a typical, large arable farm with conventional agricultural practices, in an ordinary landscape with no large patches of natural habitat. Therefore, it is likely that the results of our long-term study indicate what can be achieved on other commercial farms with good planning, implementation and management of agri-environment measures.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/03/nature-friendly-farming-does-not-reduce-productivity-study-finds?CMP=share_btn_tw

How mosquitoes seek out and feed on their hosts are important factors in how a virus circulates in nature. Mosquitoes spread diseases by acting as carriers of viruses and other pathogens: A mosquito that bites a person infected with a virus can acquire the virus and pass it on to the next person it bites.

For immunologists and infectious disease researchers, a better understanding of how a virus interacts with a host may offer new strategies for preventing and treating mosquito-borne diseases. In a recently published study, it was found that some viruses can alter a person’s body odor to be more attractive to mosquitoes, leading to more bites that allow a virus to spread.

Mosquitoes locate a potential host through different sensory cues, such as your body temperature and the carbon dioxide emitted from your breath. Odors also play a role. Previous lab research has found that mice infected with malaria have changes in their scents that make them more attractive to mosquitoes. With this in mind, researchers wondered if other mosquito-borne viruses, such as dengue and Zika, can also change a person’s scent to make them more attractive to mosquitoes, and whether there is a way to prevent these changes.

To investigate this, researchers placed mice infected with the dengue or Zika virus, uninfected mice and mosquitoes in one of three arms of a glass chamber. When airflow was applied through the mouse chambers to funnel their odors toward the mosquitoes, it was found that more mosquitoes chose to fly toward the infected mice over the uninfected mice.

Researchers ruled out carbon dioxide as a reason for why the mosquitoes were attracted to the infected mice, because while Zika-infected mice emitted less carbon dioxide than uninfected mice, dengue-infected mice did not change emission levels. Likewise, researchers ruled out body temperature as a potential attractive factor when mosquitoes did not differentiate between mice with elevated or normal body temperatures.

Then researchers assessed the role of body odors in the mosquitoes’ increased attraction to infected mice. After placing a filter in the glass chambers to prevent mice odors from reaching the mosquitoes, researchers found that the number of mosquitoes flying toward infected and uninfected mice were comparable. This suggests that there was something about the odors of the infected mice that drew the mosquitoes toward them.

To identify the odor, researchers isolated 20 different gaseous chemical compounds from the scent emitted by the infected mice. Of these, researchers found three to stimulate a significant response in mosquito antennae. When researchers applied these three compounds to the skin of healthy mice and the hands of human volunteers, only one, acetophenone, attracted more mosquitoes compared to the control. Researchers found that infected mice produced 10 times more acetophenone than uninfected mice.

Similarly, researchers found that the odors collected from the armpits of dengue fever patients contained more acetophenone than those from healthy people. When researchers applied the dengue fever patient odors on one hand of a volunteer and a healthy person’s odor on the other hand, mosquitoes were consistently more attracted to the hand with dengue fever odors.

These findings imply that the dengue and Zika viruses are capable of increasing the amount of acetophenone their hosts produce and emit, making them even more attractive to mosquitoes. When uninfected mosquitoes bite these attractive hosts, they may go on to bite other people and spread the virus even further.

Next, researchers wanted to figure out how viruses were increasing the amount of mosquito-attracting acetophenone their hosts produce. Acetophenone, along with being a chemical commonly used as a fragrance in perfumes, is also a metabolic byproduct commonly produced by certain bacteria living on the skin and in the intestines of both people and mice. Researchers wondered if it had something to do with changes in the type of bacteria on the skin.

To test this idea, researchers removed either the skin or intestinal bacteria from infected mice before exposing them to mosquitoes. While mosquitoes were still more attracted to infected mice with depleted intestinal bacteria compared to uninfected mice, they were significantly less attracted to infected mice with depleted skin bacteria. These results suggest that skin microbes are an essential source of acetophenone.

When researchers compared the skin bacteria compositions of infected and uninfected mice, they identified that a common type of rod-shaped bacteria, Bacillus, was a major acetophenone producer and had significantly increased numbers on infected mice. This meant that the dengue and Zika viruses were able to change their host’s odor by altering the microbiome of the skin.

Finally, researchers wondered if there was a way to prevent this change in odors.

Researchers found one potential option when they observed that infected mice had decreased levels of an important microbe-fighting molecule produced by skin cells, called RELMα. This suggested that the dengue and Zika viruses suppressed production of this molecule, making the mice more vulnerable to infection.

Vitamin A and its related chemical compounds are known to strongly boost production of RELMα. Researchers fed a vitamin A derivative to infected mice over the course of a few days and measured the amount of RELMα and Bacillus bacteria present on their skin, then exposed them to mosquitoes.

It was found that infected mice treated with the vitamin A derivative were able to restore their RELMα levels back to those of uninfected mice, as well as reduce the amount of Bacillus bacteria on their skin. Mosquitoes were also no more attracted to these treated, infected mice than uninfected mice.

The next step is to replicate these results in people and eventually apply what is learned to patients. Vitamin A deficiency is common in developing countries. This is especially the case in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where mosquito-transmitted viral diseases are prevalent. Researchers’ next steps are to investigate whether dietary vitamin A or its derivatives could reduce mosquito attraction to people infected with Zika and dengue, and subsequently reduce mosquito-borne diseases in the long term.

Source: https://theconversation.com/viruses-can-change-your-scent-to-make-you-more-attractive-to-mosquitoes-new-research-in-mice-finds-185833?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=bylinetwitterbutton

Aimée Code has stopped trying to grow roses in her Eugene, Oregon, backyard, where the ground is too muddy for them to flourish. If we stick to plants that do well in our own region, they’ll be less susceptible to disease and pests, and we won’t need to use dangerous chemicals in our gardens, says the pesticide program director at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Code works to preserve invertebrate species that are threatened by habitat loss, climate change and pesticides. “Many of these animals provide valuable services,” she says. “Solitary wasps feed their young certain caterpillars that we consider pests because they eat our crops. Riverbed mussels filter our water. Stone flies help break down organic matter. Bees are effective pollinators, helping to sustain our most nutritious food sources.”

U.S. bees are declining at alarming rates, thanks in part to neonicotinoids and other harmful pesticides, Code reports. The good news is that a few gardening modifications can provide food and safe haven for beneficial invertebrates, while keeping our families (and pets) free from scary chemicals. 

Gardening Tips from Aimée Code

Create a resilient garden with hardy, native plants that invite both pollinators and natural enemies like solitary wasps, lacewings and hoverflies, which help control pest populations.

Use restraint when trimming plants or clearing debris. Many bees create nests inside pithy stems and downed wood or underneath bunch grasses and fallen leaves.

Develop a greater tolerance for weeds, embracing a slightly wilder garden aesthetic. Avoid using herbicides by mulching and manually pulling weeds before they go to seed.

A few pests in the vegetable garden are okay, as long as they don’t harm overall production. Search online for non-chemical solutions by vegetable type and location. As in farming, try rotating crops or look into companion planting to learn which plants work well together. Ensure the soil has what each plant needs. For example, blueberries require an acidic soil.

Pesticides address the symptom rather than the problem. Killing pests may be a temporary fix, but won’t address the underlying cause, so the problem will likely return. Even so-called “reduced-risk” products contain concerning chemicals for pollinators. Always try non-chemical solutions first. For example, instead of applying a fungicide to address powdery mildew, water the affected plant less and prune it to improve air flow.

Eco-Friendly Pest Management

According to Ryan Anderson, community integrated pest management manager at the IPM Institute of North America, “Chemicals should only be used in a lawn or garden as a last resort, and even then, only the least amount of the least harmful product.” For reduced-risk and organic product lists, see the EPA’s Reduced Risk and Organophosphate Alternative Decisions for Conventional Pesticides and Midwest Grows Green.

Anderson laments the rampant overuse of noxious products, including glyphosate and 2,4-D, which are classified as probable and possible carcinogens, respectively, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer; commercial fertilizers that lead to nitrogen and phosphorus runoffs, threatening marine wildlife; and pyrethroid insecticides for mosquito control, which kill most insects.

He champions sustainable measures, starting with a reduction of turf grass. “People like sitting on their lawn, but try keeping it as minuscule as possible and plant native plants which require less maintenance,” he says. “Make sure you’re not planting grass where grass doesn’t want to grow.”

Consider an eco-lawn with micro-clover in the mix, Anderson advises. “Clover recycles nitrogen and stays green in drought conditions, so you don’t have to fertilize or water, and you only need to mow eco-lawns once a month.”

Lawn Care Strategies from Ryan Anderson

For weeds, the best defense is a dense, deeply rooted, turf grass system that will out-compete for air, water, nutrients and sunlight. 

Aerate the lawn in the fall by removing narrow, three-to-six-inch-deep cores and leaving them on the soil. After a day or two, mow the cores over to return nutrients to the soil. Spread turf seed over bare-soil areas and over the entire lawn whenever aeration is conducted.

Before or after aerating, spread one-quarter to one-half inch of compost over the lawn to promote a nutrient- and microbiology-rich, spongy soil structure. Visit The US Composting Council for reputable suppliers and DIY instructions for high-quality compost.

Apply leaf mulch and grass clippings to feed and promote protozoa, bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter, recycle nutrients, inhibit plant pathogens, balance pH and aerate the soil.

Mow less often and as high as possible to minimize stressing the grass plant. Lawns need only a single, one-inch watering per week.

Source: https://www.naturalawakenings.com/2022/06/30/403357/pollinator-haven-create-a-toxin-free-yard-for-critical-critters