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The Vision for Agriculture and Food states that the European Commission will put forward a proposal, in 2025, accelerating access to biocontrol to secure a future-proof agri-food sector that works hand in hand with nature. This brings European farmers a step closer to accessing more of the nature-friendly tools they urgently need to effectively protect their crops from pests and diseases. IBMA welcomes this proposal and looks forward to working on the next steps.
Brussels 19 February 2025. Plant health is causing farmers sleepless nights. Working with nature, biocontrol solutions enable farmers to protect crops by dealing effectively with pests and diseases and are vital to making agriculture more resilient.
Published today, the Vision for Agriculture and Food states
“Equally, the Commission will in 2025, as part of the simplification package in Q4, put forward a proposal that accelerates the access for biopesticides to the EU market. It will provide a definition of biocontrol active substances, introduce the possibility for Member States to grant provisional authorisations for plant protection products containing such biocontrol active substances while their evaluation is still ongoing and create a fast-track procedure for their approval and authorisation.” (p.19)
The Vision also acknowledges “the ability of farmers to produce food in the long run and be resilient depend on resilient ecosystems, maintenance of soils, fight against pests and diseases, pollination of crops, water quality and availability, clean air and climate conditions.” (p.17)
Jennifer Lewis, Executive Director of IBMA says “The inclusion of biocontrol in the Vision for Agriculture and Food is a milestone moment for farmers, IBMA members, and agriculture in Europe. We now need these concrete simplification measures to be included in a legislative proposal. IBMA is looking forward to working with all stakeholders in 2025 as we celebrate our 30th anniversary of leading biocontrol.”
The future for agriculture looks brighter not only for farmers but also for our communities. Accelerating biocontrol will benefit soil health, biodiversity, contribute to climate mitigation while meeting the growing consumer demand for sustainably produced food, both now and in the future.
Resources and Contacts:
- Read IBMA Policy Asks
- Vision for Agriculture and Food
- Jennifer Lewis, Executive Director, Jennifer.lewis@ibma-global.org
- Niamh Holland-Essoh, Communications Manager, niamh.holland@ibma-global.org