Pest Management Professional, January 2014

Continued from page 29 provided by VISION 2020 Future Trends and Implications for the Pest Management Industry Chapter 4 Economy and Markets Editors note This article is the fourth and last in a series of four trend summaries from Vision 2020 an initiative pioneered by Bayer and the National Pest Management Association NPMA to help guide and shape the future of the pest management industry The multiyear initiative will identify future trends and equip the industry to enhance its value to society in the midst of emerging societal economic technological and regulatory issues The following focuses on emerging trends and implications in the areas of economy and markets I n the professional pest management industry our goal is for commercial and residential customers to place a high value on the services we provide and the impact of those services on public health and quality of life In other words we want our services to have a high value to cost relationship The reality however is that the perceived value of what we offer and what almost all industries offer depends a lot on the overall economic forces at play When consumer confidence slides and people begin to worry about jobs and disposable income their willingness to invest in environmental protection or green products often wanes Conversely when economic forces drive prices too high as is often the case with gas meat experts also express concern about the reduction of air quality particularly in densely packed urban areas Collectively these concerns are likely to spark additional regulatory scrutiny and perhaps more restrictions aimed to protect the quality and quantity of natural resources Implications Pests arent going anywhere so people and businesses will continue to need a full measure of professional pest management Given the potential for greater concern and scrutiny about environmental issues professionals have a huge opportunity to introduce softer more TREND IMPLICATIONS Water air issues Develop sustainable solutions Local vs national regs Recruit more advocates to join the debate move from toolbased to knowledge based solutions Growing population Be ready for evolving pests and climate changes health issues Continued on page 32 sustainable products 3 LOCAL VS NATIONAL REGULATIONS The idea that all politics is local has never been truer than now Thanks to perpetual gridlock in our nations capital and the challenges of reaching national consensus on a range of legislative issues an increasing number of states and municipalities are opting to pass their own laws they see as fitting for their residents Additionally more special interest groups including nongovernmental organizations NGOs find it easier to introduce legislation at the state or municipal level rather than the federal level This trend is likely to accelerate in the years ahead unless the winds of bipartisanship suddenly blow through Washington Implications This trend provides pesticide critics with more avenues to pursue opposition of certain products or application techniques As such it will be critical for the professional pest management industry to build strong advocacy networks at the federal state and local levels especially online given that many anti campaigns are waged digitally Having an army of respected vocal advocates in all the right places will help protect the industrys best interests in the increasingly decentralized regulatory environment This trend represents more platforms to engage and educate policy makers and the public about the important role pest management plays in public health and the industrys evolution from tool based to knowledge based solutions 4 CLIMATE CHANGE AND POPULATION SHIFTS Most scientists agree climate change will have an impact on pest management from several perspectives As regions of the country become warmer or cooler or wetter or drier pest populations might shift accordingly causing pests to enter or exit the scene This in combination with population growth and the emergence of mega cities is likely to aggravate health problems allergies or usher in new ones vector borne diseases Implications The industry needs to be ready for the emergence of new pests in specific regions With every changing condition comes a terrific opportunity for professionals to become the expert in educating residential and commercial customers and the changing world of pest management 30 January 2014 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net