ifoam'96 Book of Abstracts 11th IFOAM Scientific Conference 11-15 August 1996, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Extra Papers

Organic Structural Pest Management E20

Pestco Inc., 11083 Milburn Avenue Livonia, Michigan 48150-2945, USA

Methods of pest control in food processing, warehousing, and in retail outlets are critical to the organic certification process. As stated in the IFOAM standards, the organic industry needs to embrace a new philosophy of management, rather than simply view the term organic as a chemical definition. This industry must introduce the organic perspective into methods of management in all venues of certification.
The successful practitioner of organic structural pest management (OSPM) does not simply base his practice on the use of natural pesticides. He must first identify the key life sustaining conditions of potential and specific pests within the structural environment. Unlike other venues of organic management, the organic structural pest manager can completely define and redefine the environmental conditions that may promote and sustain any pest population. The ability to redirect these sustaining conditions is the true organic tool of this practitioner.
The foundation of OSPM is constructed from the disciplines of entomology, mammalogy, sanitation, and the engineering (physical design) of these food handling structures. Organic management involves more than the simple application of technical methods. It is a heuristic process in which the practitioner develops skills through practice. These skills will accumulate so that the organic structural pest manager will successfully control unwanted pests, but not be limited to chemical interventions. This process should be understood as structural stewardship. The understanding and inclusion of organic philosophy in conjunction with the application of Good Organic Management Practices (GOMPs) is the process which will assure the organic integrity of certified organic commodities.