Creating a Global Narrative for Biopesticides

Biopesticides are becoming increasingly popular in food production systems due to concerns about food safety, as chemical pesticides affect food safety, the environment, and human health. Biopesticides are made from natural ingredients such as animals, plants, bacteria, and some minerals. They offer effective pest control while minimizing harm to beneficial insects, animals, and the environment. Consumers and industry are increasingly demanding the exploration of phytosanitary alternatives that are less harmful. In addition to complementing conventional pest control strategies, they increase agricultural production, food quality, and incomes, and help mitigate trade challenges related to residues.

Factors driving the growth of the biopesticides market include demand for organic food in North America, as well as growing awareness of environmental safety in the Asia-Pacific region.

Biopesticides play an important role in the safety of trade in food and agricultural products. Biopesticides are divided into microbial pesticides (such as bacteria, fungi and viruses), biochemical pesticides (natural substances that interfere with the biochemical processes of pests) and plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) derived from genetically modified plants. They have lower levels of toxicity to humans and non-target organisms and degrade more quickly than synthetic pesticides. Farmers are advised to use biopesticides to control late-season pests. This increases yields, reduces crop damage and, with low or no chemical residues, increases trade safety.

In addition to human health, pesticide residues hinder international trade, despite the acknowledgement of efforts by various governments to reduce pesticide residues. As defined by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), pesticide MRLs are the “maximum amount of pesticide residue permitted in food.” National regulatory authorities/international organizations set pesticide MRLs, which are critical to ensuring that agricultural use of pesticides does not result in harmful residue concentrations in food. Most standards and regulations that govern standards and procedures, including those related to quarantine, biosecurity, and biosecurity, are often governed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS). However, countries are constrained by weak regulatory mechanisms.

Governments need to support appropriate mechanisms for the registration of biopesticides, enabling the creation of an appropriate policy environment.

Recognizing the need is not enough. It requires government commitment to change policies and sustainable business models to strengthen R&D, registration and promotion of biopesticides. Commercialization of production through public-private partnerships is necessary to make biopesticides available. This means investing in training, engineering/technology and improving the capacity of regulatory bodies. Countries in Asia-Pacific have the potential to leverage the benefits of biopesticides, such as cost-effectiveness and export opportunities.

The government’s business model should include a cost-benefit analysis for farmers. Farmers make decisions on the adoption of new technologies such as biopesticides by weighing the costs and benefits, especially the benefits of biopesticides against harmful chemical pesticides. At the farmer level, APAARI advocates for tailored training, biopesticide awareness, field demonstrations, field collaboration, researcher engagement and vendor linkages. Farmers need to be convinced to incorporate biopesticides into mainstream farming practices.

According to Global Market Insights, Inc., the biopesticides market value exceeded USD 2.5 billion in 2021 and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 11 percent between 2022 and 2030.

The biopesticide market is expected to grow to $3.3 billion by 2026, with countries such as China and India expected to offer unique opportunities for biopesticide development. APAARI’s interventions are ongoing. APAARI is working with the Standards Trade Development Facility (STDF) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to engage government bodies, research institutions, farmer organizations, and private entities to enhance the technical and operational capabilities of Asia-Pacific countries in areas such as MRL data generation, biopesticide production, and biopesticide regulatory harmonization. However, it is important to integrate biopesticide promotion into the current policy ecosystem in the Asia-Pacific region.

There is a huge scope for introducing biopesticide development as a key innovation in national strategies and there is an urgent need to establish (if not existing), update and simplify existing regulatory guidelines and regulations in line with international conventions and protocols and monitor their effectiveness. Countries need to update their existing infrastructure, including research, laboratory and testing facilities, in line with international standards, along with comprehensive communication strategies to engage farmers and consumers to influence behavior. We need to design specific campaigns to bridge the gaps between scientific knowledge, field evidence and consumption behavior.

The project collaboration conducted 18 studies on pesticide residue reduction, which showed that the use of biopesticides can reduce pesticide residues on crops by 2–50 percent compared to conventional pesticide application methods.

Governments must support R&D, production and market business models that benefit farmers, businesses and consumers. To promote the adoption of biopesticides in crops and increase trade prospects after the project ends, APAARI initiated the Asia Biopesticide Community of Practice, a platform that facilitates collaboration among governments, industry, academia and other stakeholders. It continues to work with STDF partner countries to monitor biopesticide use, advocate for the necessary resources, including their availability, and encourage private sector production in developing countries.

(Dr. Ravi Khetarpal is the executive director of the Asia-Pacific Agricultural Research Association, Bangkok)