Integrated pest management (IPM) is an interdisciplinary approach to reducing crop losses through the use, by farmers, of optimum mixes of pest control techniques. It combines the aims of agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness. It has arisen out of the need to avoid problems of pest resistance (leading to pest resurgence), secondary pest outbreaks, human health problems, the high cost of pesticide control, and environmental degradation caused by excessive and inappropriate chemical pesticide use. The approach has become closely associated with approaches that enable farmers to make crop protection decisions in full awareness of factors operating in their agro-ecosystem.
With its emphasis on making the best use of local and human resources, IPM encourages - whenever appropriate - the use of natural control mechanisms (for example, predators) and of 'traditional' pest management techniques used by farmers. However, the adoption of practical alternatives to chemical methods of control may be constrained by an absence of technical solutions, a lack of resources, or socio-economic and other factors. Where such constraints are severe, an optimal IPM control package may include selective chemical treatments used in combination with alternative non-chemical control techniques.