Soil Health is key to agricultural development, ecosystem functions and food security. 95% of the world's food supply comes from soils - but 33% of our soils are degraded. This happens due to a number of reasons, including unsustainable industrial farming practices, excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, and application of harmful agrochemicals and plastics. A shift towards safer, low-input agricultural solutions will improve soil productivity and protect human health and ecosystems. 

On World Soil Day, the GEF-funded Farm Programme experts have shared their reflections on the recent trends in the biocontrol industry:

🌱 Biocontrol research & development diversity and expanding solutions underscore the sector’s strength.
🌱 Corporate venture capital underpins biocontrol’s growth, but institutional investment must expand.
🌱 Data science, digital finance platforms and operational AI technologies are essential infrastructure. 
🌱 Scientific value must align with financial metrics to strengthen investor confidence in biocontrol. 
🌱 Global initiatives like FARM play a key role in supporting dialogue between innovators and finance. 

Read more in the blog post by @Benjamin Warr and @Alison Watson: 

https://www.greenpolicyplatform.org/blog/innovation-adoption-financing-growth-biocontrol-industry

Could rapidly declining insect populations put food security at risk? 

Organic vs. conventional rice farming: how different are the gender roles? Indonesian researchers are digging into the answer. Watch the video below to learn more. Alison Watson 

"And while funding to ... [biocontrol] companies has been volatile over the past 10 years, skewed by large deals rather than following a clear trend, continued investment in early stage biocontrol deals is a notable indication of the sector’s promise and recent success."

The  recent approved EU Soil Monitoring Law highlights the need to:

- Reduce nutrient losses by at least 50%, the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50% and the use of more hazardous pesticides by 50% by 2030 20 .

Soil pollution should be reduced to levels no longer considered harmful to human health and natural ecosystems and respect the boundaries our planet can cope with, thus creating a toxic-free environment.

The entire agrifood value chain should embrace this vision, and more countries establish clear targets to reduce the use of harmful agrochemicals and agricultural plastics  !

FARM participated in the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) 2025 last month in Basel, which brought together over 2,000 experts in the sector. Read more in the link below. 

Congratulations @jennifer Lewis, Executive Director of IBMA for the succesful conference!

Reach out to us if you are working in the industry and want to be part of future initiative with IBMA and ABIM.