Biopesticide & Biocontrol Still Have Some Way to Go

Biological and non-chemical plant protection products have become important solutions globally in the quest for sustainable food production and pest management of public spaces. They offer new possibilities for farmers to include them in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs and increase the sustainability of agriculture. 
 

Based on long years of intensive research and development, the biopesticide & biocontrol industry is growing fast and can offer safe and cost-effective solutions that benefit all facets of society, but it still has some way to go for the future. Recently, Dr Willem J. Ravensberg, president of the International Biocontrol Manufacturers' Association (IBMA), received an invitation from AgroPages to share his professional views on the issue.

 

Could you introduce the global market situation of the biopesticide & biocontrol industry? 
 

There is a worldwide desire to reduce the reliance on and use of synthetic chemical pesticides for reasons that are well known. Examples that almost every citizen knows are the debates on neonicotinoids, for their effect on honeybees, and glyphosate, which is probably carcinogenic. The demand for alternative solutions for the control of pests and diseases is increasing and biocontrol products can fill part of that demand. Their use is growing at about 15% annually, a pace twice as high as conventional pesticides, and the projections from marketing reports suggest this will continue for the next 5--7 years. The total sales of biopesticides today lies at around 3--4 % of all pesticides, but this percentage is likely grow to 10% in the next decade. This is also illustrated by investments in this field by large multinationals offering crop protection and the targets that have been set in some cases. Precise data on the biopesticide market are not available, and this is why IBMA and Biopesticide Industry Alliance (BPIA) will work together, in collaboration with Phillips McDougall, on a market survey among members to gain more insight on the developments in the European and North American markets. This survey should also provide data on the various categories of biopesticides, such as semiochemicals (mainly pheromones), macroorganisms, microorganisms, and biochemical and botanical products, over a period of three years so that we can also see the trends. In the past, it was difficult for our members to provide figures due to confidentiality clauses, but with the independent party this time, we hope they will cooperate. We need these figures urgently to demonstrate to policymakers the relevance of our industry in terms of economics, job creation, and crop protection. We expect to have more information by early next year. 
 

What do you think of the opportunities and challenges facing the development of biopesticides & biocontrol in emerging markets such as China and Brazil? 
 

Information on the use of biopesticides in China is hard to get, and reports on biopesticides include other products that we usually do not categorize as such. Examples of these products are antibiotics and abamectin. China has realized that the use of pesticides has created many problems, and it has launched a new policy on reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Undoubtedly, this creates opportunities for biopesticides. China has also started a collaboration effort with the US EPA on pollution issues and one outcome of this was adapting registration procedures to favor biopesticides. It will take some time before biopesticides achieve a significant position in China’s agricultural sector, but existing practices will definitely have to change, and as we know, things can move fast in China once the decision has been made to do something. 
 

Brazil, on the other hand, is well known for the use of biopesticides. Some two million hectares are treated by farmers with self-made preparations of baculoviruses to control a specific caterpillar pest in soy. This system recently collapsed, but commercial biocontrol products have entered the market relatively quickly. One example is the use of Bt’s and baculoviruses against Heliothis armigera, which recently invaded Brazil. Also the use of the Trichoderma species is on the rise for the control of Sclerotinia in crops such as soy and other beans. Brazil has a unique requirement for the efficacy of microbial biocontrol products in its registration process. Once efficacy is proven against one target pest in a certain crop, the product's use is approved for all crops where that target poses a problem. This allows a wide label and requires less investment of time and money for these biopesticides. Brazilian farmers seem to be familiar with biopesticides and the adoption thereof. I expect the Brazilian market to grow the fastest in the use of biopesticides. This November, we will organize the participation of NewAG International, 2BMontlhy, and the Brazilian Biocontrol Association at the Biocontrol Latam conference, which will provide us with more insight on how the market develops. 
 

What does the future hold for the biopesticide & biocontrol industry? 
 

The future looks promising for our industry, as the above illustrates. Many new products are being developed, new companies founded, alliances and distribution agreements established. It is clear that every player in the traditional crop protection space is now investing in biocontrol, in R&D, in product development, in field trials, and in marketing. Investors are interested too and see opportunities. Our society has created a demand for tools that respect human health and the environment, including biodiversity. We also see increasing demand for related products based on microorganisms and natural substances in the relatively new biostimulant market and in the existing and growing seed treatment market, where biopesticides and/or biostimulants can be applied. These parallel developments have boosted the industry since, in many cases, products are being developed by the same established manufacturers and sold in the same distribution chain. Farmers can also get more familiar with this type of product, which would facilitate large-scale adoption. I am confident that these three pillars will form a significant part of agricultural inputs in the near future. And I see another range of products on the horizon, based on endophytic microorganisms with biostimulant as well as biopesticide functions. 
 

What do you think are the main challenges or barriers hindering the development of the biopesticide & biocontrol industry? 
 

Undoubtedly, regulations. Registrations form the greatest hurdle for the development of our industry. The resources and time that go into these processes could be better used for the development of new products and IPM systems. It simply takes too long for companies to gain a return on investment, and we have seen solutions for small markets, minor crops, and pests that are not brought to market because of these hurdles. With that, we miss excellent opportunities to control pests and diseases in minor crops that are often the providers of fresh fruit and vegetables, which are so important for our diet. IBMA is fighting very hard in the European Union to improve the registration procedures for low-risk products, but despite everyone’s support for this proposal, we seem to be hitting a brick wall and little progress has been made. 
 

In recent years, what has IBMA done to promote the development of the biopesticide & biocontrol industry? 
 

We have been collaborating with the European Commission to establish appropriate low-risk criteria for biopesticides. We anticipate that these will be approved this autumn, and we consider this a major achievement, even though it took a long time to get this far. Further, new Guidance Documents have been written and approved for biopesticides based on botanical extracts and semiochemicals, and IBMA has been participating actively in that process. Similarly, we are now taking part in developing an EPPO Standard for ensuring the efficacy of low-risk products. This is expected to be approved in about one year. We are also in constant contact with the authorities on issues that involve our industry. Our fingerprints can be seen in the report of the Expert Group on the “acceleration of sustainable plant protection," published their Implementation Plan Report at the end of the Dutch Presidency period in June. The group's main focus is the faster registration of low-risk products and the implementation of IPM on a large scale in the European Union. 
 

As one can see, all topics are registration related to facilitate this procedure for our member companies. The pure promotion of biocontrol products is a small part of our operations, and we leave much of that to the members themselves but will help where we can. 
 

Could you speak a little about the future plans that IBMA will implement to promote the development of the biopesticide & biocontrol industry? 
 

IBMA is strongly lobbying for amendments to EC Reg. 1107/2009, and this is taking quite a large portion of our resources. We are aiming for fast-track approval for low-risk actives and products so that farmers have more solutions in their toolkit while many traditional products are disappearing from the market. We collaborate with Copa and Cogeca in this joint goal. We maintain a good relationship with European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC) and the biostimulant industry, so that the new fertilizer regulation will clearly distinguish between biostimulants and biopesticides. Both industries have a lot in common and clear legislation in the European Union is needed to ensure the credibility of biological products in the market. We are active in negotiations with the authorities to establish affordable and workable procedures related to the Nagoya Protocol and Access and Benefit Sharing since these threaten innovation in our industry. We collaborate with EBIC and European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) as we all face this problem. Our future plans are mainly focused on regulatory issues, and it seems that new issues are constantly arising. We are also taking part in BioProtection Global, the federation formed by biocontrol and biopesticide associations over a year ago. Our aim is to speak with all the relevant global players in this field and to promote biocontrol and biopesticides across the world. Above all, our industry is attempting to provide all stakeholders with new, safe, and effective biocontrol solutions.