ABSTRACT
The norm, in effect, represents a compromise between the competing norms and values that guide actor behaviour within the pesticides politics. Integrated pest management (IPM), the offspring of this norm, is a concept which aims to balance the values of avoiding human suffering, avoiding environmental degradation, and maximizing economic gains. A Shell report on their agrochemical business acknowledges that: Environmental and economic arguments as well as sound biological principles support a trend to integrated pest management (IPM), by which is meant the coordination of agricultural practices and biological and chemical control of pests. Integrated pest management (IPM) utilizes the various pest control techniques mentioned previously, in line with the norm that chemical pesticide use should be optimized. The FAO/UNEP Panel of Experts have defined the concept. The private sector, non-governmental organizations and academic and scientific institutions should: Promote the use of integrated pest management based on the judicious use of bio-control agents.
