Towards integrated pest and pollinator management in tropical crops

Background

Insect-mediated services such as pollination and pest control are important for agriculture. Nearly 75% of the worlds’ crops depend on animal pollination. Overuse of pesticide impacting the health of agricultural landscapes and animal species is a growing concern. Integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM) co-manages pollination and pest control with preventative and biodiversity-based practices. However, IPPM is newly conceptualized and remains mostly theoretical.

Conclusions and Takeaways

The authors assess the prevalence and effectiveness of IPPM on coffee and cocoa by conducting a literature review. Overall, the majority of studies treat pollination management and pest control separately. There are very few integrative studies. Tropical forested ecosystems house most of the world’s coffee and cocoa farms, while also containing the highest abundance and diversity of certain pollinators (arthropods). The authors suggest that focusing future studies towards understanding IPPM is crucial for the development of sustainable agriculture practices.