US farmers spray more than 90% of crop acres with insecticides, fungicides and herbicides to prevent serious yield losses. This chemical-intensive pest management system has been a mainstay of US crop production for more than 100 years and will continue to sustain crop production for the foreseeable future. Sustaining agriculture in the US must include measures to insure economic sustainability, labor availability, pest resistance management, energy supplies, soil conservation and water quality. For many pests there are no effective non-chemical control strategies. Regulatory agencies respond to the need for crop protection by allowing chemicals to be used when the benefits are clear and risks managed effectively. Crop protection chemicals used within intensively managed Ag lands are effective tools for minimizing energy use, maintaining crop cover and residues to minimize erosion and minimizing reliance on hand labor for pest control. The ready acceptance of new CPPs in the market place demonstrates that research and development of new products will continue to be a key component of agriculture. This process of product discovery and response to pest resistance is as sustainable as relying on crop breeding to produce resistant cultivars.