To close out its spring People and Pollinators webinar series, the Equitable Food Initiative was joined by Anne-Marie Hourigan, head of quality standards at Whole Foods Market. Hourigan offered a look at how Whole Foods built its formal pollinator policy, and why Integrated Pest Management sits at the center of it.
The Role of Retailers
She opened with a reminder of just how foundational pollinators have always been to our food system. But in recent years, there has been a growing body of scientific research that has linked certain pesticides to pollinator harm, alongside a meaningful shift in consumer expectations. Hourigan pointed to a generation of younger consumers who see environmental health and personal health as inextricably linked, a mindset that’s increasingly showing up in how the produce industry approaches pesticide use and pest management.
The other side of that equation is understanding what’s realistic on the ground. So, before drafting a single requirement, Hourigan’s team spent a lot of time researching, visiting farms, and talking directly with growers about the pest pressures they were actually facing. The goal was a policy that drives real change and that is grounded in growing realities. As Hourigan sees it, retailers carry a broader responsibility to connect customer values with agricultural practices and support continuous improvement across the supply chain.
IPM as a Mindset, Rather Than a Checklist
The resulting policy was twofold: requiring all fresh growers to implement an Integrated Pest Management system, and addressing the use of nitroguanidine neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides linked to pollinator harm.
But Hourigan was clear that IPM isn’t really about a list, it’s a different way of thinking about pest pressure altogether. “Banning a specific chemical can often just shift growers to another regrettable substitute,” she explained. “IPM changes the thinking, not just the chemistry.”
That shift means moving from reactive to proactive: considering the conditions that might invite a pest in the first place, rather than waiting to respond once it shows up. A mature IPM program, Hourigan said, is a way of thinking above anything else. Yes, it starts with good sanitation, monitoring, and scouting, but what really sets an operation apart is the thinking behind it. Is the approach proactive? Are workers trained to spot issues early? Is documentation being used not just to record what happened, but to understand why, and to catch trends before they become problems? Growers who track what they’re seeing and why are the ones positioned to solve problems at the source.
IPM Already Happening
Whole Foods found just how much of this work was already underway in the field. Nearly every grower the team spoke with was practicing some form of IPM, they just weren’t always using that term, or communicating it to their retail partners.
That’s the real opportunity Hourigan sees for suppliers. Not necessarily doing something new, but communicating clearly about what’s already happening. “Be proactive in talking to your retailer about what you are doing, and what you’re seeing,” she advised, “so that they’re aware, and that they really understand the challenge, but also the great work that you’re already doing.”
Looking Ahead
Asked where she sees the most exciting innovation on the horizon, Hourigan pointed to biologics, both plant-derived pest control materials and predator insects like parasitic wasps that target pest species directly. “It’s really cool to leverage the ecological system to address your pest issues,” she said.
Her vision for the next five years is for healthier populations of native bees and butterflies, greater investment from government agencies in preventative pest management tools, and an industry where IPM isn’t a special initiative, but simply the norm.
Her advice for growers who want to stay ahead of where retailer expectations are heading was also important: talk to your buyers now, share what’s working and what isn’t, and don’t wait for new policy to start building a more resilient system.
Written by EFI’s Marketing and Communications Intern: Zoe Hartman