Benefits of Sterile Insect Technique

The benefits of SIT are many: reduced fruit production costs, increased volumes of air-freighted fruit, less likelihood of trade embargoes, international recognition, a decrease in outflow of capital to purchase expensive pesticides, increased foreign exchange, infrastructure and capacity building, technology transfer, training, and the cost-effective and environmentally safe control and eradication of fruit flies.

In addition sterile insect technique will:

• Improve the quality and quantity of fruit production while reducing pesticide use and promoting integrated pest management
• Enable resource-limited farmers and community dwellers in an SIT area to grow fruit fly-free, insecticide-free fruit for home consumption and to expand fruit production beyond subsistence levels
• Create a stable environment conducive to crop diversification
• Enable fruit producers and exporters to meet strict international sanitary and phytosanitary standards in order to retain existing export markets and qualify for entry into new markets
• Create new jobs in agriculture and related industries
• Create opportunities for deserving students to earn research fellowships
• Protect the food supply and promote sustainable resource use through environmentally safe pest control and increased fruit production
• Build coalitions, both domestic and international: government, industry, commercial and resource-limited farmers, academia, and international organisations.