The CABI BioProtection Portal has welcomed Biobest as a partner. This is great news for the development of the free-to-use tool which promotes awareness and uptake of biocontrol and biopesticide products, and the industry as a whole.
A ground-breaking online bioprotection resource which is available on four continents, the CABI BioProtection Portal helps growers and agricultural advisors to identify, source and correctly apply biocontrol and biopesticide products against problematic pests in their crops.
Biobest is an expert in biological control and pollination in greenhouse and berry crops, with over 30 years experience in the field and a particular focus on strong Research and Development (R&D). For example, in 1987 the company was the first to put bumblebees on the market. It has also innovated with products, such as, Nutrimite™, to stimulate predator populations in crops, and Flying Doctors® Hive, which carefully spreads biopesticides or precollected pollen. Being an important player in the field of IPM, Biobest stands out by providing growers worldwide with best-in-class customized technical advice.
This partnership will help CABI increase the geographical spread of the CABI BioProtection Portal, which can be accessed on multiple devices, thereby putting this valuable information at the fingertips of more people who need it.
Biobest – which joins existing partners, including Syngenta, Koppert Biological Systems, e-nema, Oro Agri, Applied Bio-nomics and Idai Nature – will now be part of the portal’s Development Consortium that guides the ongoing development of the CABI BioProtection Portal – sponsored by Nespresso – including adding more countries to the tool.
Dr Ulrich Kuhlmann, Executive Director, Global Operations at CABI said: “CABI is delighted to welcome Biobest as a partner of our global initiative to promote the uptake of more sustainable pest management, by providing information about practical solutions to growers and advisory services.
“I believe that CABI and Biobest share the same values and are both striving to contribute to the implementation of sustainable agriculture worldwide. Through Biobest’s membership in the Development Consortium, they will have the opportunity to jointly decide on the strategic direction of the CABI BioProtection Portal.”
It is predicted that the CABI BioProtection Portal will become the go-to resource for identifying and sourcing biocontrol and biopesticide products. It will be particularly beneficial for growers looking to replace chemical pesticides with biological products in order to meet market or export standards, satisfy consumer demands for healthier and safer food and reduce pressures on the environment.
Karel Bolckmans, COO of Biobest, said, “We are proud to be an active member of CABI to promote the benefits and opportunities of sustainable and biological horticulture as part of an Integrated Pest Management approach to crop pest and disease mitigation.”
The innovative tool has been made available by CABI in collaboration with its network of partner biocontrol manufacturers (Koppert Biological Systems, Syngenta, e-nema, Oro Agri, Idai Nature, Terra Link and Applied Bio-nomics), sponsor (Nespresso) and donors (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, African Development Bank, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development), who provide invaluable support in the form of technical inputs, strategic guidance and funding.
Find out more about Biobest at https://www.biobestgroup.com/en/biobest/about-us
