Small-scale farmers face several hurdles that make it difficult for them to control agricultural pests. Some farmers who have fields that are far from their home may only travel to the field for important management activities such as planting, weeding, and harvesting. Climate change, the introduction of new pests, and several other factors have increased pest pressures in the tropics, where food insecurity is already a major concern. Pests contribute greatly to crop loss, and farmers in resource-limited regions experience some of the most significant effects (Chakraborty and Newton, 2011). 

Integrated pest management is an approach to managing pests that combines many unique intervention strategies. To continuously improve pest management, farmers need to keep learning about pests, observing their habits and behaviors, implementing control methods, and evaluating the effectiveness of pest control interventions.

In ECHO Development Notes 151-154, simple and practical integrated pest management strategies are front and center. The series is available in English, Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole, and has also been added to a knowledge bank for Haitian farmers through an ECHO partner organization Agri-plus. 

After a training in Burkina Faso, one family was able to eradicate worms from their plants by making a neem leaf spray. These resources are already leading to healthier plants and more tomatoes. “It’s amazing,” said ECHO staff member Biba Sanou. “There was a great harvest.” 

For farming families around the world, pest management stops food losses before they start, and makes a difference in their nutrition and their annual income. When pests are managed well, families thrive!