IPM Voice Newsletter                                                                                                              June 2014

Introducing the Organic and IPM Working Group

In 2012, non-profit food hub Red Tomato partnered with Northeastern IPM Center to convene a workshop to advance dialogue between organic and IPM advocates.  Twenty-six leaders met in a facilitated session and identified common interests, concerns and possibilities for working together. One of the priorities generated was developing an ongoing working group to continue the conversation. 

 

In August 2013, IPM Institute used seed funding from IR-4 to initiate the Working Group and recruit members, and continues to meet monthly via conference call. The Working Group secured funding through 2014 from North Central IPM Center. Gathered under the moniker "Organic and IPM Working Group," 21 national leaders with backgrounds in agronomy, entomology, plant pathology, marketing and communications have joined. Objectives include information sharing, networking, and developing, publishing and pursuing joint priorities for research, education and regulation.  The Group will host an in-person gathering and session at the 2015 IPM Symposium.

 

The group has begun drafting an issue paper to educate policymakers and food industry leaders about a shared vision and common goals which the group feels are needed to ensure we can meet demands for healthy food without compromising sustainability.  Meeting notes, priorities, resources and contact information can be found at organicipmwg.wordpress.com.

Spotlight on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Born out of the farm crisis in the early 1980s, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has grown to serve an alliance of over 100 grassroots organization across the US.  NSAC engages in federal policy reform to advance sustainability including the key role of family farms in maintaining stable rural communities. 

 

Using a participatory model, NSAC's policy directives derive from its member organizations and rural constituents.  The coalition's notable successes include improving conservation through the Conservation Stewardship Program, expanding educational opportunities through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, and supporting local markets and organic growth through the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program.  Among other projects, NSAC is currently working on implementing the 2014 Farm Bill and the Food Safety Modernization Act.  Visit NSAC on their web at sustainableagriculture.net

IPM Voice Board of Directors Meet to Discuss Mission, Leadership and Funding Models

IPM Voice's new board met on June 26, 2014 to revisit the organization's purpose statement and funding strategies.  The purpose statement will be an internal expression of IPM Voice's reason for existence, complementing the group's public mission statement.  At its core, the purpose is to build understanding of IPM and its benefits, so that adoption and those benefits grow.  Near-term goals include securing sufficient funding to support a full-time executive director and developing a sustainable financial model likely built on organizational as well as the current individual memberships.  The next meeting in July will include narrowing down the location for the first in-person board meeting scheduled for November 6-7, 2014.

Upcoming IPM-Related Meetings and Conferences

July 6-10, 2014.  American Phytopathological Society Caribbean Division Meeting. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

July 9-11, 2014. American Phytopathological Society Pacific Division MeetingBozeman, MT

August 8-9, 2014. North American Late Blight Symposium. Minneapolis, MN

August 9-13, 2014. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN

October 21-24, 2014. National Pest Management Association "PestWorld 2014" Meeting. Orlando, FL

November 16-19, 2014. Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting. Portland, OR 

March 23-26, 2015. Eighth International IPM Symposium. Salt Lake City, UT

IPM Voice is an independent, non-profit organization advocating for integrated pest management (IPM) that is genuinely progressive and seeks continuous improvement of environmental, social and economic conditions through application of accepted scientific principles.  IPM Voice was formed in 2010 by more than 35 professionals working to expand the benefits IPM has provided to agriculture and communities for more than 40 years.

IPM Voice, Inc. / 1020 Regent Street  Madison, Wisconsin 53715 / 608-232-1410 / www.ipmvoice.org