ASAJA and Vestaron join forces in the sustainable protection of Spanish tomato crops

Vestaron has signed an agreement with ASAJA – the largest professional agricultural organization in Spain with more than 200,000 members – to develop sustainable agricultural practices. The partnership is centered on helping producers implement a range of treatments against pests based on peptides (amino acid molecules) that deliver the efficacy of conventional insecticides but provide the safety of biological products.

″This agreement represents a great leap forward for the future of Spain’s important tomato crop. We are enthused by ASAJA’s proactive approach to sustainable agriculture, and we look forward to helping producers manage pest pressures and protect this valuable commodity while also protecting the environment, workers, and biodiversity in the ecosystem,″ said Anna Rath, CEO of Vestaron.

The transition from synthetic pesticides to biological peptides represents a considerable improvement in the sustainability of crop protection for Spanish producers. The tomato cultivation area in Spain amounts to 56,106 hectares, and tomato production amounts to 4.7 million tons, of which 60 percent is intended for fresh consumption and the rest for industry (peeled, concentrated, dehydrated, etc.). Approximately 25 percent of national production is exported.

Despite the great economic and social importance of this crop in Spain, ″in recent years, we are witnessing a drastic reduction in the active materials available to be used against tomato pests and diseases,″ stated ASAJA. The management and control of pests continue to be one of the most important challenges facing intensive agriculture in Spain. In high-productivity crops and in protected agriculture, the proliferation of pests and diseases is much more common than in other types of production, making the protection of crops against disease and damage a priority for producers.

″Traditional treatments with broad-spectrum insecticides face a double challenge: on the one hand, the growing resistance problems developed by pests, and on the other, the safety profile, both for the field workers who apply the treatments, and for the final consumer to whom producers must guarantee healthy and safe product,″ according to ASAJA.

On signing the agreement, the president of ASAJA said the partnership represents ″a significant step towards a more sustainable future for agriculture, by providing farmers with effective and ecological alternatives to conventional pesticides. We can better protect our environment, preserve biodiversity, and guarantee the viability of agricultural activity″.