Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management promotes the protection of environmentally sensitive growing areas, soil and water conservation, as well as the prudent management of crop pests and herbicide use. The IPM standards for Sysco's program were written with the assistance of the independent IPM Institute in Madison, Wisconsin and with valuable input from many of Sysco's canned and frozen fruit and vegetable suppliers.

The goal of this program is the use of environmentally friendly pesticides, only as necessary. This is a large initiative for our company that involves 70 suppliers, 160 food factories, and approximately 375,000 acres of crop land the first year of implementation. Sysco-branded suppliers of canned and frozen fruit and vegetables were required to submit IPM and sustainable agricultural programs. An independent third party audit by each supplier measures compliance to Sysco's IPM standards.

The results have illustrated the success of the program and the potential impact on the environment. For example, due to IPM practices in the field, our suppliers have reported avoiding the use of pesticides of over 300,000 lbs. of active ingredient pesticides this last year. In addition, they reported reusing or recycling 155,000,000 tons of organic waste material, 6,400,000 lbs of cardboard and paper, 2,900,000 lbs of metal products and 1,600,000 lbs of plastic. We are convinced through these efforts, with the help of our suppliers, we will make a huge impact toward a more sustainable food supply.