National Integrated Pest Management Policy, 2002.

In Bangladesh, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) activities first started in 1981 with the introduction of the first phase of FAO's inter-country programme (ICP) on IPM in rice crop. However, it was in 1987 that IPM activities began to expand and became a popular topic among people from all walks of life. From 1989 to 1995, the ICP played a strong catalytic role in promoting the IPM concept and approach among the government officials and donor community. This programme provided IPM training to build the training capacity of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and introduced Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for training of farmers. A number of persons from the non-government organizations (NGOs) were also given training on IPM. As a result of the success of this programme and on the basis of the need for IPM in Bangladesh, a number of IPM projects in rice and vegetables have come into existence which are being executed by different government departments and NGOs.
The Government of Bangladesh (GOB) is giving due importance to IPM, which has been reflected in the Fifth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002). The Plan stated that: In the fifth plan period, the integrated pest management (IPM) programme will be intensified and expanded in order to safeguard crops from pests and combat environmental degradation due to pesticide uses. Collaboration among the local government representatives, extension workers and NGOs will be sought to expand IPM programme. In the context of Bangladesh the term IPM includes elements contributing to an effective, safe, sustainable and economically sound crop protection system. It is not limited to pest management system alone. Clearly, IPM conserves the natural resources such as the soil, flora and fauna and ensures reliability and stability of agricultural production. Ecological and economic sustainability of agricultural production is the long-term goal of IPM. In fact effective IPM: increases self-reliance of farmers by promoting locally developed and adapted crop management practices; reduces the risks to farmers, general public and the environment; these include the risks of crop loss and all risks related to the use of pesticides; brings enormous savings by reducing the use of farm chemicals; reduces use of pesticides at the national level; improves the field conditions for beneficial insects and generate extra income as well as nutritious food for the farmers; and promotes community activities and the formation of farmer groups (e.g. IPM clubs) and facilitates empowerment of both female and male farmers.
The objective of the IPM policy is: to enable farmers to grow healthy crops in an increased manner and thereby increase their income on a sustainable basis while improving the environment and community health. To achieve the above mentioned objective, IPM Policy will pursue the following strategies: expand IPM on a sustainable basis by establishing a national IPM programme; and facilitate co-ordination of all IPM activities in Bangladesh. The following are the key components of the IPM policy: Maintaining ecological balance; Executing appropriate actions on pesticides; Operating an effective system for implementing the national IPM programme; Developing human resources as the core of IPM; Conducting research on IPM.
Sustainability of farm outputs requires a holistic approach to agricultural production founded on a sound ecological basis. GOB fully realises the importance of ecological agriculture and understands that IPM revolves around eco-friendly agricultural production system. IPM is an ideal method for conserving natural resources (preserving bio-diversity and natural enemies of crop pests, appropriate genetic diversity for crop production, conservation of natural aquatic populations, etc.) along the pathway of sustainable agricultural development. The IPM policy would be applicable to all crops from large plantations to household gardens through: efforts to conserve and augment populations of bio-control agents in crop fields through the adoption of the principles and practices of IPM; and the management of pests through the use of parasitoids, predators, insect pathogens, appropriate cultivation techniques, pest tolerant varieties, mechanical control measures, crop diversification, botanical products and bio-pesticides.