Pest Program Returns $2.19 per Taxpayer Dollar
A Cornell analysis estimates New York's integrated pest management program has generated benefits exceeding its cost over four decades.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Organic Food
Cornell University economists estimated that New York's integrated pest management program returned $2.19 for every taxpayer dollar invested over its first 40 years. The findings, published November 2 in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, estimate benefits of up to $143.7 million in 2024 dollars.
Why it matters
The analysis gives New York growers and policymakers a dollar-based measure of a program that helps farmers monitor pests and time treatments. Because the estimate counts only activities with usable economic evidence, it offers a conservative floor rather than a full accounting of the program's value.
The estimate covers 40 years of program activity, with website and NEWA forecasting tools valued at an estimated $210,000 to $632,000 annually. Researchers scaled savings from grower monitoring practices using crop acreage and the years those practices were available.
The players
Cornell University
A private Ivy League research university in Ithaca, New York, whose researchers conducted the economic analysis of the state pest management program.
Allan Pinto
Cornell's first economist for the integrated pest management program, who joined the program in 2023.
The details
Researchers calculated savings from practices that help growers monitor pests and time treatments, then scaled results using crop acreage and years of availability. The program's NEWA system uses weather observations and pest life-cycle information to help farmers forecast risks and make treatment decisions.
Timeline
1970s: Federal work on reducing broad pesticide use began.
1985: New York established program funding in its state budget.
2023: Allan Pinto joined Cornell's program as its first economist.
November 2, 2026: Study published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management.
Season Trajectory
The estimate follows decades of Cornell's integrated pest management work and the NEWA forecasting network built around it. Researchers plan to develop tools other states could use for similar evaluations.
Growers who use monitoring tools and treatment timing guidance may see lower pest-control costs, according to the analysis. The findings suggest the program's forecasting resources can reduce unnecessary treatments on New York farms.
The takeaway
Integrated pest management can be measured in dollars, and the analysis suggests that using monitoring and forecasting tools can pay back the public investment. Growers considering these practices can consult local extension resources for timing guidance.
What happens next
Cornell researchers plan to examine the economic value of community integrated pest management work and develop tools other states could use for similar evaluations.
Further reading
Explore more on Organic Food and how growers in New York approach pest control.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fingerlakes1.
