Toward a sustainable future: rethinking pest control through green chemistry

Authors: Norris, Edmund; COATS, JOEL - Iowa State University; KRAUS, GEORGE - Iowa State University

Submitted to: The Royal Society of Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2026
Publication Date: 3/19/2026
Citation: Norris, E.J., Coats, J.R., Kraus, G.A. 2026. Toward a sustainable future: rethinking pest control through green chemistry. The Royal Society of Chemistry. 92. https://doi.org/10.1039/9781837676842.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/9781837676842

Interpretive Summary: While synthetic pesticides have dramatically improved health and well-being through increased agricultural yields and lower disease incidences throughout the 20th century, their overuse has resulted in severe environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and human health risks. Mounting concerns about pesticide persistence, resistance, and toxicity have catalyzed a shift toward more sustainable strategies. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) emphasized minimizing chemical inputs through ecological understanding, but a deeper transformation requires rethinking the chemistry itself. Green Chemistry offers a new framework: designing pest control solutions that are inherently safer, more specific, biodegradable, and environmentally benign. Advances in biopesticides and safer synthetic molecules demonstrate the promise of this approach, yet challenges such as efficacy, adoption barriers, and evolving pest pressures remain. This prologue introduces the necessity of greener pest management strategies rooted in Green Chemistry principles, setting the stage for deeper discussions throughout the book on how scientific innovation can protect crops, public health, and ecosystems simultaneously. A future where pest control harmonizes with environmental stewardship is not only possible—it is urgently needed.

Technical Abstract: While synthetic pesticides have dramatically improved health and well-being through increased agricultural yields and lower disease incidences throughout the 20th century, their overuse has resulted in severe environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and human health risks. Mounting concerns about pesticide persistence, resistance, and toxicity have catalyzed a shift toward more sustainable strategies. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) emphasized minimizing chemical inputs through ecological understanding, but a deeper transformation requires rethinking the chemistry itself. Green Chemistry offers a new framework: designing pest control solutions that are inherently safer, more specific, biodegradable, and environmentally benign. Advances in biopesticides and safer synthetic molecules demonstrate the promise of this approach, yet challenges such as efficacy, adoption barriers, and evolving pest pressures remain. This prologue introduces the necessity of greener pest management strategies rooted in Green Chemistry principles, setting the stage for deeper discussions throughout the book on how scientific innovation can protect crops, public health, and ecosystems simultaneously. A future where pest control harmonizes with environmental stewardship is not only possible—it is urgently needed.