Expert projects strong growth in the global biodefensive market

The global outlook for the biodefense industry for agriculture is very encouraging. To a large extent, optimism stems from a consumer who demands safer food, produced with solutions based on low-impact and sustainable substances. The assessment is by Nicolas Cock Duque, president of BPG – BioProtection Global, the global federation that brings together biocontrol industry associations. “Different sources suggest that the global biodefense and biopesticide market will exceed annual sales of US$4 billion in 2019,” said Duque. If this expectation is realized, growth will be significant, as in 2016, the segment generated approximately US$2,5 billion.  

The executive will be one of the speakers at the Biocontrol Latan 2019, the most important global meeting of the biological pesticides industry, which is organized by New AG International, in partnership with ABCBio – Brazilian Association of Biological Control Companies, and will be held between the 28th and 30th of August, in Campinas (SP) . In Duque's opinion, who will address the topic at the event Bioprotection Challenges and Contributions to Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in 2030, in order to meet the demand for safe and sustainably produced food for a global population of 9 billion inhabitants, expected by 2050, it will be necessary to significantly increase the adoption rates of biological pesticides, “especially considering the challenges of climate change and planetary limits.”

For the speaker, the segment's good global prospects also apply to Brazil, which, in his view, plays a decisive role both in supplying food to the world and in the development of new plant biodefense technologies. “Latin America, together with Sub-Saharan Africa, are the regions with the greatest potential for arable land to be used or restored with the help of bioregenerative solutions,” noted Duque.

Regarding the coexistence between conventional and biological pesticides, the president of BPG says that both are technologies that can coexist harmoniously. “They are complementary and synergistic solutions to achieve true sustainable agriculture, in order to guarantee safe food for everyone on a climatically and biologically balanced planet”, he summarized. Regarding global harmonization of regulatory standards in the segment, Duque understands that there is still work in progress. “I believe that one of the objectives should be the acceptance of crops treated with biodefense in international trade, without quantitative restrictions, just as organic products are mutually recognized through international agreements”, he considered, adding that tolerance exemption or MRL (maximum limit of residues) does not mean “no residues”, but no residues of toxicological concerns.

Finally, Duque said he hopes that Biocontrol Latam 2019 will become the most relevant regional biodefense event of the year. “After two very successful meetings in Campinas, in 2017, and in Medellín, Colombia, in 2018, it has evolved into the meeting that all stakeholders in the biodefense industry should participate in, including distributors, producers, regulators, researchers , students and the food chain in general. It is an ideal event to learn, to do network and obtain comprehensive updates regarding the sector”, he concluded.

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Biocontrol Latam 2019

Date: 28th, 29th and 30th August 2019

Location: Royal Palm Hall - Campinas/SP