In an open letter addressed to the European Commission, Copa-Cogeca urges the European Commission to ensure that biocontrol solutions are made available to farmers without delays. Here is the message from European farmers:

"Dear President von der Leyen,

Since 2011, farmers in Europe have been firmly committed to reducing the use of plant protection products (PPP), but at the same time, they are facing a lack of sufficient access to economically viable and safe alternatives, such as biological control.

This gap in our farmers' toolkit jeopardizes their ability to combat pests and diseases and remain productive, contributing to the distress of farmers at the source of their recent protests.

In the current context, where food security and strategic autonomy have emerged as key strategic priorities of the EU, biocontrol and low-risk solutions play a crucial role in ensuring that the EU meets its food needs.

Biocontrol allows farmers to continue operating sustainably and deliver high-quality products to our tables. For this to happen, farmers need timely access to these solutions on a large scale, as well as proper training on how to effectively implement them in their fields - both of which are currently not a reality.

Biocontrol products and low-risk PPPs are proven alternatives to effectively and sustainably control pests and diseases, providing a solution to fill the existing gap in farmers' toolkits and meet their needs.

As a non-chemical and targeted input, biological control application contributes to improving soil quality and biodiversity by creating a favorable status for microbial communities. Additionally, biological control minimizes chemical residues and thus the risk of environmental contamination in soil, water, and human health. Biocontrol can function independently or be part of a pest and disease management program with chemical substances.

For many years, Copa-Cogeca and the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) have seen biocontrol solutions as key tools for the agriculture of the future. However, authorization processes in Europe are excessively long, especially compared to other competitors such as Brazil and the USA, and therefore urgently need to be accelerated so that alternative PPPs can reach farmers' toolkits on a large scale.

Once these solutions are in farmers' toolkits, they will ensure effective pest and disease control on over 28 million hectares, of which 23 million are arable crops.

For all the above, we urge the European Commission to urgently accelerate the market introduction procedures for biocontrol products to ensure that these solutions are made available to farmers without unnecessary delays. Urgent actions must be taken to address farmers' desperate need for alternative plant pest and disease control tools in the current context of shortages and climate change.

We would also like to invite the Commission to engage in constructive dialogue with relevant stakeholders to urgently address these challenges to stimulate the competitive potential of European farmers.

We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the above in more detail and the next necessary steps." (Photo: Dreamstime)