Conventional agriculture damages ecological systems through the use of toxic pesticides.
From harming wildlife populations to impairing soil health, agricultural pesticide use can have profound effects on the web of life. By combining biological, cultural, and physical tools, and when necessary and as a last resort, the least toxic pesticides, IPM users reduce the strain that high-risk pesticides put on the environment. This helps to promote and preserve biodiversity. IPM involves farmers keeping their fields healthy, closely monitoring crops for signs of pests and disease, and nurturing beneficial organisms. Ecologically-based IPM is a systems approach to pest management that is based on an understanding of pest ecology.