31 May 01 June 2023 Ended
Paris and online
Diversifying Business Models for Biocontrol Development – International Scientific Workshop
Biocontrol is an essential lever to drastically reduce the use of chemical pesticides but its development is still limited. What are the business models which could be implemented? This international scientific workshop, organised by the French Priority Research Programme “Growing and Protecting Crops Differently”, will discuss 5 types of models used worldwide. The workshop will be held in English. REGISTER BEFORE 19/05/2023.
Biological control strategies range from the use of organisms or natural substances to the management of ecological infrastructures promoting pest control services provided by resident biodiversity. The implementation of these strategies relies on different types of economic actors, different tools, products and services offered to farmers, different modes of financing and require a variety of interactions between stakeholders. In other words, biocontrol can use a diversity of business models. Large-scale use of biocontrol is highly dependent on the fit between business models and the socioeconomic context.
The currently dominant business model in biocontrol, derived from agrochemistry, corresponds to the use of products manufactured by the upstream industry and sold to growers. This business model, which mobilizes a very narrow part of the agribusiness value chain, is not adapted to all biocontrol strategies (e.g. conservation or establishment biocontrol) and displays limitations in terms of potential for large-scale deployment.
In this conference, we will provide an overview of the diversity of business models used worldwide for the different types of biocontrol strategies (together with autocidal control and scouting activities supporting biocontrol), discuss their pros and cons, evaluate their potential for wider deployment and discuss the way public and private policies can facilitate their implementation.