Global leaders and investors identify steps needed to accelerate use of biocontrol at industry meeting in Basel

The 19th Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) 2024 welcomed 2040 participants from 67 countries, underscoring the pivotal role that biocontrol plays in ensuring farming within planetary boundaries is productive and profitable. Organized by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA), the event took place in Basel, Switzerland, 21 to 23 October. This year’s edition featured cutting-edge innovations, engaging panel discussions with leading regulators, and insightful presentations. In addition, 157 exhibitors showcased a wide range of nature-based solutions that are helping the food value chain meet growing consumer demand for environmentally- friendly grown food. 

Widely recognized as the premier meeting place for the biocontrol industry, ABIM gathered 2,040 delegates and 157 exhibitors from 67 countries. The event provided a platform to address key challenges faced by farmers during the agricultural transition, discuss the regulation of biocontrol and network with industry peers.  

Given that the Mission Letter of the European Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare Olivier Valheri refers to “the accelerated use of bio-controls,” delegates were asked to identify steps to help make this happen.  

Key actions include:

• Prioritise biocontrol authorisation so that farmers have products now and new active substances within two years. 

• Invest in biocontrol knowledge so that competent authorities have the expertise and human resources needed to do the evaluations.

• Ensure farmers are at the table, invest in capacity building and incentivize the use of biocontrol. 

Attention Agripreneurs 

Start-ups are at the forefront of delivering groundbreaking solutions, yet securing funding in the early stages remains challenging, often jeopardizing the potential for valuable innovation. For the first time, ABIM partnered with Accumont to offer start-ups the opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors. A total of 11 pitches were presented showcasing a range of solutions and with some now exploring concrete investment opportunities.  

“In today’s competitive agricultural landscape, securing funding for innovations is more crucial than ever. What’s more, we need to speed up authorization processes so that innovators can afford to stay in Europe and farmers no longer have to wait up to a decade to access cutting edge biocontrol technologies”, says Jennifer Lewis, Executive Director, IBMA. 

The significance of innovation was further highlighted by the 78 poster presentations as well as the winners of this year’s Bernard Blum Award. 

• Gold: Certis Belchim/Certis Biologicals for Toltek, a solution that combats Take-all, one of Europe’s most devastating cereal diseases. 
• Silver: Cearitis for their push & pull combination, a method that effectively targets fruit flies. 
• Bronze: Biotalys for their protein-based solution designed to protect crops from potentially catastrophic fungal diseases. 
• Product assisting uptake: Crop Capsule company for Cotton Cap which targets Silverleaf Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) in broad acre rain grown and irrigated cotton production systems. 

Looking ahead: 2025 - A Year of Milestones Celebrations 

The year 2025 will mark significant anniversaries for the biocontrol industry: 30 years of IBMA, 20 years of ABIM, and 10 years of the Bernard Blum Award. 

“Next year, we will not only reflect on the achievements of the past decades but also focus on the work needed to ensure biocontrol is anchored in the future of food systems. ABIM will proudly continue to serve the industry and IBMA members by bringing the sector together and strengthening its impact for years to come”, says Lucius Tamm, CEO, ABIM.

Save the date: The 20th edition of ABIM takes place 20 - 22 October 2025.