CABI BioProtection Portal launched to help fight crop pests and diseases more sustainably in Tanzania

CABI’s ground-breaking bioprotection resource, the CABI BioProtection Portal, has now been launched in Tanzania to give growers and advisors the information they need to help fight crop pests and diseases more sustainably.

The CABI BioProtection Portal is an open access, digital tool that enables users to find registered biopesticide and biocontrol solutions. With filters for country, crop and pest, users can easily source locally available bioprotection products for their pest problems. The portal also provides a resources area packed with information that will help growers and advisors discover the world of bioprotection.

The CABI BioProtection Portal is the go-to resource for growers and advisors wanting to find a bioprotection product that can help meet their needs. It contains a range of environmentally-friendly control options for the pests and diseases of major crops in Tanzania, including the fall armyworm, stalk and stem borers on maize.

The portal is available online and offline and can be accessed from multiple devices, thereby putting this valuable information at the fingertips of anyone who needs it.

Dr Ulrich Kuhlmann, Executive Director, Global Operations at CABI, said, ″Globally, an estimated 40 percent of crops are lost to pests and diseases. The CABI BioProtection Portal offers a ‘one-stop shop’ for growers who want to learn about and use biopesticide and biocontrol products. Any grower that aims to adopt a more sustainable and safer farming strategy will find the CABI BioProtection Portal a priceless resource″.

″It is increasingly clear that certain chemical pesticides in agriculture are creating serious human health and environmental concerns. The portal will be particularly beneficial for growers looking to reduce their reliance on, or even replace, chemical pesticides. These growers will be promoting a more balanced ecosystem on their farms that will help ensure sustained productivity. These growers will also more easily meet market or export standards and satisfy consumer demands for healthier and safer food.″

The CABI BioProtection Portal is an easy-to-use tool. Users simply enter ‘Tanzania’ as their country and select their crop and/or pest in the system. The portal then generates a list of bioprotection products that are authorised by national regulators for that specific search. Information is sourced directly from national governments’ list of registered pesticides and from partner biocontrol manufacturers.

The CABI BioProtection Portal is also available in a range of other countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, India, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nepal, Peru, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Uganda, United Kingdom andUSA.

The innovative tool has been made available by CABI in collaboration with its network of partner biocontrol manufacturers (Koppert Biological Systems, Syngenta, e-nema, Oro Agri, Idai Nature, Biobest, Applied Bio-nomics, TerraLink, Bio Insumos Nativa, Anatis Bioprotection, Crop Defenders, Andermatt Canada, Biocare and Provivi), sponsors (Nepresso, APIS, Rainforest Alliance, Mondelez International, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and Guarany) donors (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, African Development Bank, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development), associates (BioProtection Global, International Organisation of Biological Control, Biological Agri Solutions of India, the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association, the Bioagri Input Producers Association, the Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India and the Biological Products Industry Alliance) who provide invaluable support in the form of technical inputs, strategic guidance and funding.