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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Following the first AGM of IBMA Belgium, Raffael Buonatesta ( former) IBMA Belgium Chair and CEO of Fytofend spoke at an event hosted by Pesticide Action Network Europe, Friends of the Earth Europe, the European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility and Agroecology Europe to discuss ways forward for resilient agriculture. The event […]

Following joint calls with farmers organizations to speed up access to biocontrol, IBMA invited Copa Cogeca and IFOAM Organics Europe to meet with Carlos Goulart, Secretary of Animal and Plant Health of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil to learn more about the Brazilian experience with biocontrol.  The Plant Health Attaché, Permanent Representation […]

The theme of the International Day of Biological Diversity 2024 is Be Part of the Plan. As farmers urge policymakers for a plan to speed up access to biocontrol, we ask – can Europe’s biodiversity, farmers and food security wait another decade? When biodiversity has a problem, agriculture has a problem Unsustainable pest control practices […]