Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting 2024
Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting 2024
In October members of staff from Kerona were able to attend the 19th Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM). Organised by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA), the event took place in the picturesque Basel Switzerland. The conference welcomed 2040 participants and 157 exhibitors from 67 different countries. Such demand showcases the pivotal role that biocontrol plays in ensuring productive and profitable agricultural systems. This year’s edition featured cutting-edge innovations, engaging panel discussions with leading regulators, and insightful presentations. Moreover, the significance of biocontrol as an innovative solution was highlighted by the 78 poster presentations, with gold, silver and bronze recipients receiving the Barnard Blum Award for presenting the most innovative biocontrol product of the year.
The Regulatory Seminar featured 6 different speakers and examined the issues faced by companies when submitting new products in Europe, proposed solutions and looked at regulations in different jurisdictions around the world. Kerona attended the workshops on RATION (Risk Assessment Innovation for Low-Risk Pesticides) which aims at tackling the major EU challenge of the regulatory barriers that limit the full potential and market reach of low-risk pesticides (LRPs). The first RATION workshop gave an overview of the scheme along with the risk assessment for microbial pesticides and microbiome solutions, while the second RATION workshop focussed on the risk assessment for plant extracts, semiochemicals, pheromones and double stranded (ds) RNA pesticides.
Finally, the persons present from Kerona had the privilege to meet different companies, some familiar and some new, for engaging conversations and discussions regarding the regulatory landscape around biocontrol products in Europe. Possibly, if you are reading this blog post, you were one of them.
For those interested in attending the 20th edition of ABIM, it will be taking place between Monday the 20th and Wednesday the 22nd of October 2025. The year 2025 will be a milestone year as it will mark the 30th anniversary of IBMA, the 20th anniversary of the ABIM and 10 years of the Bernard Blum award.
If you need assistance with the registration of biocontrol products in the EU, please do not hesitate to contact the experts at Kerona at info@kerona.ie