Asfertglobal expands global presence, contributes to sustainability with new innovation

Asfertglobal, a Portuguese multinational company, focuses on the development of Biostimulants, Biofertilizers and Biocontrol, based on microorganisms and new organic molecules from natural sources. The company has made great progress in global expansion and new launches. 

Joel Jerónimo, CEO at Asfertglobal, will talk more about these and their future plans in this interview.

It has been two years since Asfertglobal was interviewed by AgoPages last time. How was your business development these years?

Over the last two years, Asfertglobal's global expansion strategy has proved to be a great success. We have consolidated our position on the national and international scene with increased sales in key markets for world agriculture, such as Portugal, Poland, South Africa, the United States and Mexico. 

We also managed to enter new strategic markets, such as Egypt, Honduras and Eastern Europe, with the aim of increasing Asfertglobal's presence worldwide.

Were there any changes in the market these years? Do you see them as challenges or opportunities?

Undoubtedly, there has been a huge change in the market and a huge change in the fertilization paradigm, imposed above all by greater awareness on the part of farmers, in order to adopt good practices and find sustainable solutions in the face of threats, such as climate change, and also by the new European Union standards, through the 50% reduction in the use of active substances (around 80 active substances) by 2030, provided for under the EU's biodiversity strategy - Farm to Fork. 

Some of the solutions to this problem will be the use of new crop protection methods that represent an alternative to chemically synthesized products - BIOCONTROL solutions - natural solutions composed of Plant Oils, Oligosaccharides or Botanical Extracts with proven action against insects, fungi and no residue.

Asfertglobal is dedicated to preserving and recovering soil health. Would you like to talk about your new achievements in this sector?

Soil preservation and recovery is undoubtedly one of our main objectives, which is why our R&D department is constantly developing new Biofertilization solutions and Technologies, in partnership with the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Lisbon. This year we will be launching new Biofertilization product lines, technological solutions with MetaPriming technology - Technology developed through specific fermentation processes that promote the multiplication of bioactive metabolites, with a priming effect on the plant and the native community of microorganisms in the rhizosphere, promoting greater natural plant resistance to biotic and abiotic agents.

Metapriming activates the connectivity between the soil microbiome and the plant, which directly promotes the growth and development of plants and strengthens their innate immunity.

Asfertglobal uses "omics" techniques (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and phenomics) in technological development and the study of modes of action.

Asfertglobal recently launched Kiplant LightHouse Biotechnology Center. What are the reasons for this launch?

Kiplant Lighthouse was created based on three fundamental pillars: Nature, Knowledge and Technology. It is a biotechnology center equipped with artificial intelligence and robotics systems that interact with nature and allow the development and evaluation of the efficacy of prototype products "in vivo".

With this Biotechnology Center, it is possible to obtain 3D models integrating various parameters related to plant development and physiology, through digitalization and the use of Big Data to monitor and process data.

Its aim is to carry out new product trials and make it possible to select products that are more efficient, rigorous and effective from an agronomic and sustainable point of view, and thus reach the market more quickly.

What are your main focuses in 2024?

For 2024, Asfertglobal has established a series of strategic objectives that reflect our ongoing commitment to innovation, sustainable growth and excellence in service to our customers. Some of our main objectives for this year include:

• Expansion of global presence: We intend to consolidate our position in existing markets and expand into new regions, increasing our international presence and strengthening strategic partnerships around the world.

• New product development: We will continue to invest in research and development to launch new products and solutions that meet the emerging needs of farmers and contribute to the sustainability of agriculture.

  
  

• Technological innovation: We will continue to invest in cutting-edge technology to optimize our internal processes, improve operational efficiency and provide increasingly advanced solutions to our customers.

Asfertglobal's goal continues to be leadership in the sector, always seeking to be at the forefront of development and innovation, to guarantee not only crop productivity, but also the preservation of natural resources, sustainability and the circular economy.