Is this the time to bid farewell to integrated pest management?

The concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been established for over five decades, primarily to reduce farmers' dependence on harmful chemical pesticides. Numerous countries have allocated substantial financial resources towards research, piloting, and scaling IPM initiatives. However, the low adoption rates of IPM underscore a notable discrepancy between its theoretical constructs and practical implementation in agricultural settings. This perspective paper introduces a novel framework, 'Integrated Plant Health Management' (IPHEM), to bridge this gap. The IPHEM concept is developed within a 'push-pull-policy' (3P) architecture, positioning it as an essential component of sustainable crop production rather than merely a tool for pest and disease management. The 'push' aspect encompasses research activities related to discovery, piloting, and scaling IPHEM, as well as stakeholder engagement in its development and scaling. Conversely, the 'pull' aspect emphasizes the influence of consumer preferences and market demand for safe food as pivotal factors for the widespread adoption of IPHEM strategies in sustainable agriculture. The 'policy' dimension outlines the requisite enabling environment, regulatory frameworks, value chains for inputs and outputs, and infrastructure vital for effective deployment. Thus, this paper elucidates the interconnected, holistic nature of the 3P framework for operationalizing the IPHEM approach and advocates a shift away from traditional IPM models.