Pesticides and the threats they pose to wildlife entered public discussion when Rachel Carson published her 1962 classic, Silent Spring. While pesticides are an integral component of industrialized agriculture, they are also one of the main drivers of insect harm and extinction. Chemical pesticides applied in agriculture are difficult to contain. These poisons leak into nearby watersheds and soils, eventually reaching Earth’s oceans, where they contribute to oceanic dead zones. As infected insects are consumed, pesticides poison the larger animals that feed on them. 

SPI conducts research into the most effective ways to limit pesticide use and reduce damage to ecosystems and insect populations. We also spread awareness about pesticide impacts and build political support for stronger pesticide regulations.