Despite high social and economic costs resulting from pesticide use, farmers in many developing countries still persist in this method of pest control. One reason is the perception that the development and implementation of IPM strategies are beyond their capabilities. Using the example of cabbage and tomato production in Trinidad, insecticide use was calculated at above 40.0% and 100.0% respectively of recommended rates, despite the introduction of parasitoids for cabbage pest control and reports that fruit‐ and leaf‐feeding tomato pests may not cause serious yield loss. An IPM strategy for these crops is suggested based on increased research, including alternatives to pesticides, improved application technology and pest monitoring, together with a strong extension capability.