The National Farmers Union's Ann Slater is calling for more third-party agricultural research and extension on integrated pest management.
Slater is the NFU's Vice President of Policy. She says IPM and organic production share management approaches.
However, she points out IPM includes the use of chemical pest control when other management approaches have not kept pest levels below the level where they would cause economic harm.
The NFU argues third party, publicly funded extension and research on Ontario conditions will be key to expanding the use of IPM practices. Slater suggests those practices can address the costs of insecticides to our neighbours and our environment, including pollinators.
She says the Ontario public and the Ontario government have a long-term responsibility to provide farmers with that research and extension so growers can confidently make decisions on how to implement IPM practices on their farms.
