Boosting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Implementation: IPMWORKS Seminar and Conference 2024
13-14 May 2024 – Baogen Gu, Senior Agricultural Officer in the FAO Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), participated in the IPMWORKS European Policy and Stakeholders’ seminar on “Boosting IPM Implementation in the EU” and the IPM Conference 2024. His contributions highlighted the global potential of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and underscored the importance of scaling up these techniques beyond the European Union.
During the seminar, Gu shared valuable insights drawn from FAO's extensive experience in promoting and scaling up IPM through Farmer Field Schools (FFS) . He stressed that these schools play a critical role in educating farmers about sustainable pest management practices, emphasizing the importance of reducing reliance on chemical pesticides while enhancing agricultural productivity.
The IPM Conference 2024 underscored the necessity of collaborative efforts and knowledge exchange to advance Integrated Pest Management globally. As the European Union continues to lead in IPM implementation, the experiences and innovations shared at the seminar and Conference are poised to inspire and inform related initiatives worldwide, particularly in regions where sustainable pest management is crucial for food security and environmental health.