All Eyes on Japan for Pest Summit 2022

Editor's note: The international pest management community once again had the opportunity to gather for three busy days, but this time the venue was Japan. Pest Summit 2022 was organized by the Federation of Asian and Oceania Pest Managers Associations (FAOPMA) and held at the Kyoto International Conference Centre Nov. 8 - 11. UK-based journalist Frances McKim attended and filed the following report.

Despite the distance traveled by some delegates, accompanied by the rigorous Japanese entry requirements, the event was a sell-out. Over 800 delegates attended, 450 of them from outside Japan representing over 30 different countries. For those unable to travel to Kyoto, the event was also available virtually.

Welcoming delegates was Kenjiro Yamaguchi, the President of the Japan Pest Control Association, and host of this event. As an indication of significance of the event, it was formally opened by a former Prime Minister of Japan, the 99th to hold this office, Yoshihido Suga.

Suga congratulated the industry for the significant contribution it made during the COVID pandemic and for the fact that pest control is now recognized as an official occupation. “COVID is a global problem, so it is good to share knowledge and experiences at such international events,” he said.

Over the next two days there were more than 40 topical and technical presentations. A whole session, chaired by Stephen Doggett, was devoted to the dangers of climate change and the role pest control organizations can take to be proactive.

U.S. well represented

Speakers from the US were represented with presentations from Dr Dini Miller, Virginia Tech University, Dr Chow-Yang Lee from the University of California, Riverside, the University of Florida’s Dr Faith Oi with virtual presentations from Dr Michael Rust, the University of California, Riverside and Dr Bobby Corrigan, RMC Pest Management Consulting, Richmond, Ind.

Running alongside was a 38-stand exhibition which included many of the international companies such as BASF, Syngenta and PestWest along with Envu making its debut appearance in this part of the world. As to be expected, the local distributor companies were represented along with a fascinating selection of local specialized product developers and manufacturers.

Summing up the event, Dominique Stumpf, CEO of the National Pest Management Association and also Treasurer and Secretary of the Global Pest Management Coalition said: “After three years apart due to the pandemic, it was wonderful to reunite with our friends and colleagues from around the world at FAOPMA’s Pest Summit in Kyoto, Japan.

“The warm hospitality and welcome by the Japanese Pest Control Association made the conference a remarkable experience for me and I’m sure for many others as well. We had time to make connections, reignite the passion for the work of the Global Pest Management Coalition and identify future opportunities to collaborate. I look forward to welcoming our many new and old friends next year at PestWorld 2023 in Hawaii.”

As to be expected, delegates found time to explore some of the historic sites of Kyoto and experience a flavor of traditional Japanese entertainment at the gala dinner.

Next year’s FAOPMA event will take place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.