Von Der Leyen heard us: Biocontrol included as a priority for the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare 

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has issued a Mission Letter to the Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare requiring him to focus on “the accelerated use of bio-controls”. On 17 September, Ursula von der Leyen revealed the goals for each of the Commissioner-designates and their portfolios. In particular, accelerating biocontrol and delivering the […]

Call for Policy Officer

Founded in 1995, the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) is an international non-profit trade association, based in Brussels since 2013. With over 220 members globally, we represent the manufacturers of biocontrol solutions, known alternatives to control pests and diseases effectively in an environmentally friendly way in agriculture, forestry, public spaces, and gardens. A large percentage […]

Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture includes Biocontrol in its Recommendations 

IBMA welcomes the inclusion of biocontrol in the recommendations for transitioning to sustainable food systems in the Strategic Dialogue report. This speaks for the crucial role biocontrol plays in the future of agriculture and reflects the input IBMA provided in the consultation process.   The Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture brought together 29 […]

How we can leverage European Commission priorities to accelerate the uptake of biocontrol  

In June 2024, the European Council,  the institution that defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union, published its broad strategic priorities for 2024-2029. Subsequently, Ursula von der Leyen outlined political guidelines on which she secured her re-election for a second term as president of the European Commission.    Overall, the political […]

The European Union is discussing a biocontrol definition

The European Union is now actively discussing with Member States the inclusion of a biocontrol definition in the Uniform Principles for the evaluation of Plant Protection Products. This step could unlock the full potential of biocontrol, making European agriculture greener, more competitive, and more innovative. In her political guidelines for the European Commission 2024-2029, President […]

Do you need to secure funding for a biocontrol innovation? Then participate in the ABIM Call for Pitches

Attention Agripreneurs! Do you need to secure funding for a biocontrol innovation? Then participate in the Call for Pitches, a unique opportunity at ABIM in partnership with AgBioScout. The submission process is open until 5 September. The pitching sessions will take place on 23 October 2024, at ABIM in Basel, Switzerland. A total of twelve companies […]

IBMA attends Biopesticides Working Group meeting

IBMA participated in the Biopesticides Working Group meeting organised by DG SANTE on 10-11 June 2024. We gave 6 presentations that shared IBMA positions and contributions to various topics of concern for the industry. We also responded to DG SANTE initiatives such as the new provisions on microbial consortia. IBMA presented the ZAPID outcomes and […]

IBMA at 2024 Salinas Biological Summit

Jennifer Lewis, IBMA Executive Director was invited by Western Growers to speak on a regulatory panel about the European regulatory situation, alongside US Environmental Protection Agency, Terry Stone, Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency and regulatory specialists from Latin America. It is notable that the bottlenecks due to lack of evaluation resources (money and skills) for […]