Editing Insecticide (section)

===Definition===
The EU defines biopesticides as "a form of pesticide based on micro-organisms or natural products".<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=18 December 2008 |title=Encouraging innovation in biopesticide development |url=http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/134na5.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515143828/http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/134na5.pdf |archive-date=15 May 2012 |access-date=20 April 2012 |website= |publisher=European Commission DG ENV |type=News alert |id=Issue 134}}</ref> The [[US EPA]] defines biopesticides as “certain types of pesticides derived from such natural materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals”.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=18 October 2023 |title=What are Biopesticides? |url=https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/what-are-biopesticides |access-date=9 Oct 2024 |website=United States Environmental Protection Agency}}</ref> Microorganisms that control pests may also be categorised as [[biological pest control]] agents together with larger organisms such as parasitic insects, [[Entomopathogenic nematode|entomopathic nematodes]] etc. [[Natural product|Natural products]] may also be categorised as chemical insecticides.

The US EPA describes three types of biopesticide.<ref name=":2" /> Biochemical pesticides (meaning bio-derived chemicals), which are naturally occurring substances that control pests by non-toxic mechanisms. Microbial pesticides consisting of a microorganism (e.g., a [[Bacteria|bacterium]], [[fungus]], [[virus]] or [[Protozoa|protozoan]]) as the active ingredient. Plant-Incorporated-Protectants (PIPs) are pesticidal substances that plants produce from genetic material that has been added to the plant (thus producing [[Genetically modified crops|transgenic crops]]).