Six Decades of the Sterile Insect Technique Applied to Ceratitis capitata in Israel: Evolution, Methodology and Socio‐Economic Perspectives

The Mediterranean fruit fly ( Ceratitis capitata ; Medfly) has been a primary agricultural pest in Israel for over a century. While chemical control remains the prevalent choice for its management, the integration of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) into the management programme for this pest has been explored and implemented in various capacities since the 1960s. This manuscript reviews the evolution of SIT application for Medfly in Israel, from early release experiments described in 1967 to the subsequent development of the ‘Targeted‐SIT’ methodology. Targeted‐SIT represents a precision‐agriculture approach capable of suppressing pest populations in small, non‐contiguous orchards while minimizing the use of pesticides. Despite the technical efficacy and environmental benefits of Targeted‐SIT, the commercial application of SIT in Israel faced significant challenges, leading to the cessation of sterile fly production in 2022. This review analyzes the socio‐economic drivers behind this outcome, utilizing a stakeholder analysis to highlight the mutually divergent expectations among government bodies, growers' initiatives and private sector mass production. The findings suggest that while technical protocols for SIT application are well established, the long‐term viability of such programmes relies heavily on sustainable business models that align public environmental interests with private economic incentives.