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Biologicals: Addressing the growing need to future-proof the food system
Enhancing food security in the most efficient and sustainable way is a growing concern for the agtech industry.
With the world’s population expected to increase by nearly two billion in the next 30 years, the need to balance agricultural output with environmental conservation and sustainable practices is key for the future health of the planet and its people.1
“The need for food security has become increasingly important,” says Isabel Vercauteren, CEO and co-founder of Aphea.Bio, a leader in microbial product development that enables farmers to take a more sustainable approach.
“Consumers and policy makers are driving the demand for sustainable practices that minimize carbon footprints and reliance on chemical inputs. This is putting pressure on the industry to innovate with more sustainable solutions that offer long-term benefits for everyone.”
Achieving this can seem like an immense and daunting task. The ever-growing demand for higher yields is driving more intensive farming practices, leading to soil degradation and environmental damage if not managed correctly. As well as negatively impacting soil health, continuous and extensive chemical and fertilizer input pollutes ground and surface water, affecting the health of humans and animals.
Global trends in moving towards sustainable farming solutions are influenced by various factors. Firstly, decarbonization targets set by legislation across countries and continents vary. In Europe, for example, the European Green Deal has committed to create the first climate neutral continent by 2050, and has given clear direction on reducing the use of pesticides.2
In the US, the Agriculture Resilience Act of 2023 sets out to establish, expand, and revise multiple programs and activities of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) primarily to reduce carbon emissions from the agriculture sector, requiring the USDA to implement a plan to achieve net-zero emissions from the sector by 2040.3
In countries and regions where similar legislation is not in place, growers can be less motivated to reduce the use of chemicals, especially if these are both reasonably effective and affordable. In addition to legislative drivers, variations in soil types, growing conditions and disease distributions across the world are other factors that shape the opportunities for a successful establishment of sustainable agricultural practices.
Against these pressures and disparities, climate change continues to disrupt growing seasons and increase the frequency of extreme weather events, threatening crop yields and food security. With drought becoming more frequent and widespread across the world, solutions to tackle poorer, drier soil and optimize water usage are more needed than ever.
Therefore innovative, efficient and economically viable biological solutions are more needed than ever.
Steven Vandenabeele, CTO and Co-Founder, and Isabel Vercauteren, CEO and Co-Founder, in Aphea.Bio’s greenhouse
Enhancing the biological toolbox
With climate change and environmental issues such as biodiversity loss or water pollution putting increasing pressures on agriculture, farmers are in need of a diverse and effective toolbox to help them face today’s challenges.
Biologicals play an important role as a long-term, sustainable solutions that can help reduce the emissions and environmental impact that normally occur with the production and use of synthetic products, and encompass a wealth of beneficial products, from bio-stimulants designed to enhance flowering and plant growth, to bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides.
Providing products that have a proven and reliable efficiency is key in helping farmers improve soil composition and address sustainability challenges in across a range of crops and growing conditions. However, the benefits of sustainable solutions are often countered by a high-cost perception around biologicals, which can be a significant barrier for a widespread adoption.
“Yes, they can be perceived as more expensive but that isn’t necessarily the case. To aid cost control, our product development includes a focus on high-acre crops, such as wheat and maize,” says Aphea.Bio’s Vercauteren.
Providing microbial-based solutions for farmers
Aphea.Bio provides novel and powerful solutions based on micro-organisms to enable farmers to reduce current chemical inputs by replacing them with a more sustainable alternative. Since its founding in 2017, the company has rapidly evolved into a leading player in biological product development and is currently working on a wide range of solutions.
Within the company’s portfolio, biostimulants are the most advanced element with one cereal biostimulant successfully launched, and a biostimulant targeting maize planned to be launched in 2025. For biocontrol solutions, the first bio-fungicide products have been submitted for approval in the US and Europe. Among Aphea.Bio’s global ambitions are its bio-herbicide and bio-insecticide programs whose field trial validation stage is anticipated for completion by 2026.
The company plays a vital role in improving food security, offering a focused approach with a portfolio of products tailored for farmers to keep crops healthy and meet desired yields in a sustainable way. Its diverse and skilled team of scientists and industry professionals have built a collection of over 15,000 novel and proprietary strains, providing access to a previously untapped source of innovation for biologicals.
Its flexible technology platform APEXbioTM is designed to provide innovative biological solutions, such as biostimulants and biocontrols, to fill the farmer’s toolbox with sustainable products throughout the pipeline. Combining in-house data capabilities and expertise, it can evaluate thousands of discovery leads each year and identify those that make a difference in the field.
“APEXbio is a fully integrated, comprehensive approach that goes above and beyond a single standalone product,” says Vercauteren. “As a technology and solutions provider, our work is upstream in the value chain with local distributors and larger partners to bring products to market. We work with farmers to enable them to leverage the benefits of our products.”
“We see leading companies in the agricultural space as valued partners, allowing us to bring new innovations to the farmer in the most efficient way. It’s an integration of different approaches with the aim of arriving at the best performing crop for the farmer, be it through partnerships, licensing and other collaborations.”
As well as expanding its reach across Europe, Aphea.Bio’s wider ambitions include establishing a footprint in the US – a key market for crops such as maize and wheat – and exploring steps into Latin America, with a focus on Brazil.
Sustainability is built into all facets of Aphea.Bio. Its ESG impact committee guides the company in its sustainability commitment, while its B Corp status is a testament to the company’s commitment of using business as a force for positive impact. In January 2024, the company was awarded a silver medal in the EcoVadis assessment, further solidifying its dedication to implement sustainable business practices across the company.
As the need for more sustainable solutions in agriculture grows, the targeted application of microorganisms is well positioned to benefit crops, and help steer farmers toward a healthier future.
References
1. United Nations. Population.
2. European Commission. Delivering the Green Deal.
3. Congress.gov. Agriculture Resilience Act of 2023.