Integrated pest management (IPM) is a concept and practice that has the potential to improve sustainability of numerous commodities in agriculture and forestry, as well as reduce pesticide use in schools, buildings and urban landscapes. IPM is essentially a management framework that can be used to employ complementary control tactics to manage insect and other pests in a way that provides economic sustainability, is environmentally sound and socially compatible. Although the IPM concept has received considerable research attention over the past 35 years, the emphasis has often focused on pest biology, economic injury levels, or the development of novel pest control tactics. By contrast, there has been little acknowledgement within the pest disciplines that the implementation of IPM is a decision-making, management activity. Consequently, the benefits and risks of IPM are not always measured, or communicated to end-users. Not too surprisingly, many growers, especially those producing high-value crops, often view IPM as a more risky option vs. conventional methods; this view tends to promote substantial reliance on pesticide applications. The purpose of this presentation will be to provide a rationale for embracing a risk-management perspective in developing and communicating both the risks and the benefits of IPM. A risk-management perspective can be used to address economic, environmental and health risks, as suggested in the recent USDA “IPM Roadmap.” Based on economic risk, I will argue that IPM, with risks and benefits clearly defined, should enhance client understanding of the benefits of IPM, and thereby contribute to increased adoption rates.