AbstractThis paper highlights the factors affecting the acceptance and use of integrated pest management (IPM) within the context of sustainable cropping systems in developing countries. Because each region of the world has unique constraints and advantages related to the adoption and deployment of IPM, sections are included to look at such particulars for Africa, Latin America and Asia. A short exploration of what the future might hold for IPM in developing countries is performed through the use of four scenarios, which were developed by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) scientists to assist them in mapping out directions for crop research in the coming years. This paper concludes with observations and thoughts about how to ensure that best-practice pest management technologies and dissemination strategies meet the needs of farmers in developing countries in the 21st century.