In a recent webinar, the Equitable Food Initiative was joined by experts Katy Green and Katie Chiapuzio to explore what strong Integrated Pest Management looks like on a daily basis at the field level. Katy Green, a produce field inspector from Whole Foods Market and Katie Chiapuzio, an environmental and agricultural scientist at Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group offered insights from two different points in the supply chain.
IPM Done Well
Green explained her work in the field is about understanding plant systems, plant health and how everything is integrated together in service of delivering the best quality fruits and vegetables to the customer. When insects are managed responsibly, plant health improves and better plant health means better quality produce. IPM done well isn’t just good for the environment, it benefits farmworkers, quality and is good for business from field to fork.
Both speakers pointed to the same starting point for an operation building a strong foundation for IPM, “Leadership sets the tone and direction for the entire farm,” Green said. She expressed that leadership buy-in is key to an operation implementing meaningful IPM. Adding, “If the leaders come outside, they’re excited about and looking for insects, that’s going to naturally create that curiosity among everyone else.”
Education Up and Down the Supply Chain
Every person in the chain plays a role. Chiapuzio stressed that the operations seeing the most improvement year-over-year are the ones who are actively engaging with stakeholders, understanding retailer needs and keeping open communication. The more perspectives at the table including farmworkers, consultants, environmental scientists, retailers, the less likely an operation is to get stuck in a feedback loop, and the more it learns each season for active continuous improvement.
Proactive Management: Communication and Documentation
Communication and documentation are foundational to proactive IPM management. When environmental disruptions like extreme weather or pest pressure arise, an entire growing region can be impacted. Green says the difference can be in how prepared an operation is. She emphasized maintaining an open line with retailers before a problem escalates, “if you have an issue pop up, having those communications with retailers — that matters.” Green knows that responsible management is about having a plan in place. Documenting consistently and communicating early strengthens transparency and leads to better outcomes.
Chiapuzio chimed in to emphasize the importance of tracking your thresholds, recording your reasoning and making sure you’re getting credit for the work you’re already doing. Performing experiments by scouting, monitoring and recording allows workers to know what to look for and have a system for recording what they find, and improve over time.
Workforce Engagement
IPM succeeds when the people closest to the crop, the workers in the field each day, are educated and empowered to communicate and act.
Chiapuzio concluded, “IPM often depends on people noticing and communicating issues early on.” In large operations especially, roles can become siloed, and important observations get lost between departments. So, the solution isn’t just better systems. It’s getting more people at the table who understand the same problem in different ways, encouraging curiosity, and empowering farmworkers by providing them the tools and opportunities to grow.
Written by EFI’s Marketing and Communications Intern: Zoe Hartman