Maryland Pesticide Education Network

What Maryland Pesticide Education Network does

Maryland Pesticide Education Network (MPEN) is a Maryland-based nonprofit advocacy organization, headquartered in Annapolis and operating since 1994, that advances policies and practices reducing harmful pesticide use. Its mission spans protection of children, pollinators, farm workers, and the Chesapeake Bay, executed through a portfolio of programs rather than a unified product. Core programs include the Pesticides & Chesapeake Bay Watershed Project (convening Bay stakeholders since 2007 with annual conferences from 2020 through 2025), the Smart on Pesticides Coalition (SOPC) coordinating 100+ Maryland organizations and businesses, the 18+ year IPM in Health Care Facilities Project, Go Organic Maryland, Marylanders for Food & Farm Worker Protection, and the Safer Disinfectants Initiative. Supporting resources include three curated databases — the Pesticide Research Database, the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database, and the Least Toxic Pesticide Alternatives Database — plus the Pollinator-SAFE Toolkit for solar installations and a PesticideSmart newsletter.

MPEN has driven multiple first-in-the-nation legislative outcomes: the 1998 and 1999 IPM in Schools laws, the 2016 and 2017 pollinator protection laws, and Maryland's full ban on chlorpyrifos effective December 31, 2021. The organization is led by Executive Director Ruth Berlin and Project Director Sean Lynch, with a Board of Directors and advisory boards. Revenue is donation-based (a $10 suggested donation appears on the website), supplemented by coalition partnerships with Earthjustice, Beyond Pesticides, and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. Operating geography is limited to Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay watershed; no AI/ML capabilities, patents, or commercial product distribution are present in the operating model.

Name

Maryland Pesticide Education Network

Legal name

Maryland Pesticide Education Network

Website

https://mdpestnet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maryland Pesticide Education Network is a nonprofit advocacy organization that drives science-based pesticide policy and education in Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay watershed, serving schools, healthcare facilities, farmers, and policymakers through coalition-building, curated databases, and legislative campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy and Education

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Agricultural Chemicals (2870)

akta.pro primary industry

IPM School/Childcare & Sensitive-Site Programs (Reduced-Exposure Protocols) (HSAMAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pest Control & Integrated Pest Management (IPM) (EDAEAAAG), Pest Management Compliance (IPM) & Vector Control (EDAEAKAK), Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ)

Keywords

• Pesticide education
• Integrated pest management
• Pollinator protection
• Environmental advocacy
• Sustainable agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis, Maryland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals to support its mission of protecting babies, bees, and the Bay from pesticide harm. A suggested donation of $10 is mentioned on the website.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Maryland Pesticide Education Network is a Maryland-based nonprofit that advances systemic change toward reducing harmful pesticide use through a portfolio of educational programs, advocacy campaigns, and resource databases. The organization convenes stakeholder coalitions, supports least-toxic pest management practices in schools and healthcare facilities, drives legislative advocacy (including the only statewide chlorpyrifos ban in the U.S.), and maintains research databases on pesticide impacts and safer alternatives.

Product overview

The Maryland Pesticide Education Network (MPEN) is a nonprofit advocacy organization that provides education, resources, and advocacy to reduce harmful pesticide use and promote sustainable practices. Rather than a unified software product, MPEN operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs and databases. Their core offerings include the Pesticides & Chesapeake Bay Watershed Project (stakeholder convening and annual conferences since 2007), the Smart on Pesticides Coalition (SOPC) coordinating 100+ organizations statewide, Go Organic Maryland for marketplace change, and the IPM in Health Care Facilities Project providing least-toxic pest management protocols. Supporting these programs are three major resource databases: the Pesticide Research Database, the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database, and the Least Toxic Pesticide Alternatives Database. Additional initiatives include Food & Farm Worker Protection, the Safer Disinfectants Initiative, and the Pollinator-SAFE Toolkit for solar installations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pesticides and Chesapeake Bay Watershed Project A collaborative initiative convening diverse Bay stakeholders in working groups and an annual conference since 2007 to address pesticide impacts on the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
• Smart on Pesticides Coalition (SOPC)

Quantifiable outcome

• Only state in the U.S. to institute a full ban of chlorpyrifos as of December 31, 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smart on Pesticides Coalition (SOPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA state coalition of 100+ organizations and businesses working together to promote policies and laws that reduce harmful pesticide use in Maryland. MPEN leads the coalition in advancing science-based pesticide policies.
• GoOrganic MarylandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative driving systemic marketplace changes with healthier lifestyle choices, encouraging consumers to vote with their wallet and fork.
• Beyond PesticidescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization partnered on the Pesticide Gateway database and joint advocacy efforts including amicus briefs in Monsanto v. Durnell case.
• Joint CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary accreditation body for health care facilities. MPEN's IPM in Health Care Facilities Project advised facilities on implementing least-toxic pest management protocols.
• Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner advocating for health protections from pesticides, with executive director Katie Huffling joining coalition statements against chemical company liability shields.
• EarthjusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal partner in petitioning Maryland Department of Agriculture to develop comprehensive pesticide data program for public health and transparency.
• 51 Organizations CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroad coalition of 51 organizations, coalitions, businesses, and leaders representing tens of thousands of members opposing legislation to shield chemical companies from liability.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Earthjustice: National environmental law organization. Comparable as MPEN's legal partner (joint work on pesticide data transparency), but functions primarily as a litigation/regulatory intervenor rather than a grassroots advocacy organization.

Direct peers

• Pesticide Action Network (PAN): International network working to replace pesticide use with ecologically sound alternatives. Closely comparable to MPEN in mission (reducing harmful pesticide use) and approach (science-based advocacy, coalition-building), but operating at national/international scale rather than state-level.
• Center for Food Safety: National nonprofit advocating for safe, sustainable food and agriculture systems, with substantial work on pesticide reform. Comparable mission to MPEN at national scale, with overlapping interest in pollinator protection and farmworker safety.
• Beyond Pesticides: National nonprofit focused on pesticide elimination and adoption of ecological pest management. Directly comparable to MPEN as a pesticide advocacy organization; Beyond Pesticides is MPEN's partner on the Pesticide Gateway database and joint amicus briefs.
• Toxics Information Project (TIP): State-level pesticide reform advocacy organization. Comparable to MPEN in mission and scale — both are small state-focused nonprofits working on pesticide reduction, IPM adoption, and policy advocacy, though TIP operates in Rhode Island rather than Maryland.

Broad incumbents

• Environmental Working Group (EWG): Large national environmental and public health research organization with pesticide-related advocacy (e.g., "Dirty Dozen"). Broader mandate than MPEN but overlaps significantly on pesticide science communication, public education, and policy advocacy on agricultural chemicals.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Major national environmental advocacy organization with pesticide and pollinator policy programs. Comparable to MPEN on the policy-advocacy dimension but operates across many environmental issues and at much larger scale.
• Center for Biological Diversity: National nonprofit working on endangered species and pollinator protection, with pesticide litigation as a key tactic. Comparable to MPEN on the pollinator-protection dimension and on aggressive use of legal/regulatory channels to advance pesticide reform.
• Friends of the Earth: National environmental advocacy organization with active pesticide reform and pollinator protection campaigns. Comparable to MPEN in advocacy methodology (grassroots organizing, legislative campaigns) but operates nationally across many environmental issues.

Emerging players

• Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE): National nursing organization focused on environmental health, including pesticide exposure. Directly comparable as a coalition partner with MPEN (executive director Katie Huffling co-signed statements); works on overlapping health-protections advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PesticidesSmart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maryland-pesticide-education-network-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maryland Pesticide Education Network