Many pesticides can be harmful to people and the environment, but they're still commonly used because of a lack of knowledge about their effects or other ways of managing pests. Voluntary sustainability standards include restrictions on certain pesticides within their criteria, and many provide on-the-ground training on alternative pest control methods.
In 2016, nine ISEAL members came together to form the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coalition. The coalition aims to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of highly hazardous pesticides, and to promote more sustainable alternatives. It also aims to harmonise approaches to pesticides between ISEAL member standards.