What does "sustainable pest management" primarily aim to minimize?

Sustainable pest management primarily aims to minimize chemical usage, focusing on reducing reliance on synthetic pesticides that can harm the environment and non-target organisms. By emphasizing methods such as biological control, crop rotation, and integrated pest management (IPM), sustainable practices work to maintain pest populations at manageable levels while protecting biodiversity and ecosystem health. This approach also seeks to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems, allowing for natural pest control mechanisms to thrive, thereby reducing the need for chemical inputs.

The other options, while important aspects of sustainable agriculture, do not directly reflect the primary goal of sustainable pest management. Mechanical farming may be a method of cultivation but is not specifically targeted towards pest control. Soil erosion and water consumption are critical environmental concerns but are not the central focus of sustainable pest management practices.