- European Commission must prioritize including Biocontrol innovation in the 2024-2029 work program to ensure access to biocontrol products for farmers.
- It currently takes 2-3 times longer to bring biocontrol products to the European market than in Brazil or the United States. This places Europe’s farmers at a competitive disadvantage.
- The current system for approving products uses resources inefficiently. A streamlined system would better use the resources of EU institutions like the European Food Safety Authority and Member States.
Madrid, 25 April 2024.- Rovensa Next, committed to shaping a sustainable future for agriculture, has announced its partnership with the Biocontrol Coalition. This collaboration aims to support farmers in their green transition by advocating for reevaluating of the European Union’s regulatory framework on biocontrol. The goal is to provide farmers with a greater number of effective tools to manage pests and diseases, including those exacerbated by climate change, thereby safeguarding crops across Europe.
The lack of a Single Market for biocontrol products in the European Union leaves farmers at a significant disadvantage. Recognizing this issue, the Biocontrol Coalition has been formed as a multistakeholder platform to address the challenges posed by the EU regulatory framework for plant protection. This initiative aims to foster dialogue and propose innovative solutions to promote biocontrol innovation and integrated pest management (IPM) tools throughout Europe.
Over the past decade, only five to six new biocontrol active ingredients have been placed on the European market annually. Moreover, the lengthy approval processes in Europe, which can take eight to ten years, significantly impede the introduction of new products. As a result, European farmers face a competitive disadvantage compared to their counterparts in other regions where approval processes are more streamlined.
“Enhancing agricultural practices demands solutions that lift confidence in the IPM strategy and guarantee the quality of the final product for consumers”, explained Laurent Gouzou, Head of Global Regulatory Affairs at Rovensa Next. In this sense, “The latest advances and technologies in agriculture allow the development of products that would position the sector in the front line of the innovation as cutting-edge agriculture, where biodiversity is respected. However, in Europe regulation is lagging far behind innovation” added Laurent Gouzou.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the Biocontrol Coalition has issued an open letter to President Von der Leyen and Commissioners Šefčovič and Wojciechowski calling to prioritize biocontrol innovation the European Commission to include a dedicated item in the Commission’s 2024-2029 work program to facilitate biocontrol innovation and streamline the process of bringing biocontrol products to market. “It is important for authorities to open the debate and offer farmers tools appropriate to the times we live in, especially when they are required to meet sustainability standards”, highlights Laurent Gouzou.
Key concerns raised by the Biocontrol Coalition require a fundamental regulatory framework rethink:
- The absence of a Single Market for biocontrol products, resulting in unequal conditions for farmers across the Union.
- The lack of a universally accepted definition of biocontrol in Europe hinders clarity in political discussions on sustainable pest control.
- Lengthy approval processes in Europe compared to other regions, placing European farmers at a competitive disadvantage. In this sense, it currently takes 2-3 times longer to bring biocontrol products to the market in Europe than in Brazil or the United States.
- Inefficient resource utilization in the current regulatory system, leading to unnecessary administrative burdens.
The open letter has so far been endorsed by 15 organizations, including leading biocontrol manufacturers, farmers, and consumers. To read the full open letter and join the initiative, visit Biocontrol Coalition Website
- Eight biocontrol manufacturers who are the Leading Members of the Coalition: Aphea.Bio, Atlántica Agrícola, Certis Belchim, Diachem, Evergreen Garden Care, Lallemand Plant Care, Rovensa Next and Syngenta.
- Supporting Members: Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Agronutrientes (AEFA), Asociación Agraria Jóvenes Agricultores (ASAJA), and the Consumer Choice Center (CCC)
- Other: The European Landowners Organisation (ELO), COPA-COGECA (the European umbrella body for farmers associations and agricultural coops), CDotBio, Biotalys, and Lithos Crop Protect.
About Biocontrol Coalition:
The Biocontrol Coalition is a multi-stakeholder coalition advocating for the European Union to rethink its framework for agriculture and food, particularly for biocontrol, so that the EU proactively fosters innovation whilst ensuring health, safety, and environmental protection. We want Europe to become a welcoming, enabling environment for biocontrol innovation.
For more information visit: https://biocontrolcoalition.eu/
About Rovensa Next
Rovensa Next is the business unit of Rovensa Group, creating a holistic platform of biosolutions to shape a sustainable future for agriculture and drive its bio-transformation.
The business unit is comprised of more than 3,000 employees around the globe with a sales presence in over 90 countries. Betting on sustainability, innovation, and technical expertise, Rovensa Next unites a global network of 30 R&D laboratories, excellence centres, fields, and greenhouses; 14 production plants; more than 80 partnerships with research centres and universities; 100 R&D and innovation specialists; and a dedicated team of more than 850 field experts.
Rovensa Next aggregates ten sustainable pioneer Rovensa Group companies, with long and proud legacies in bionutrition and biocontrol management: Agrichembio, Agrotecnologia, Idai Nature, Microquimica, MIP Agro, Oro Agri, OGT, Rodel, SDP, and Tradecorp. As one brand, Rovensa Next will house a balanced portfolio of bionutrition, biocontrol and bioadjvants and correctors products, offering growers holistic inputs solutions aimed at guaranteeing yield and performance, and promoting sustainable agriculture practices.
For further information:
Bicontrol Coalition
Marcos Esquina
Rovensa Next
Elisa Lipperheide
Global Communication Manager
