ABIM 2025: Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation in Biocontrol

In October, I attended ABIM (Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting), which is the leading global platform for the biocontrol industry, bringing together manufacturers, researchers, regulators, and farmers to advance sustainable crop protection solutions.

Taking place in Basel, Switzerland, this year’s ABIM Basel marked a major milestone, its 20th anniversary, and I was fortunate to attend as part of Syngenta Biologicals. The three-day event brought together 2,051 participants from 67 countries alongside 170 exhibitors, all focused on defining the next chapter of sustainable agriculture.

Walking into the venue, the innovation and energy were immediately apparent. This was a truly global gathering, with researchers, regulators, agronomists, farmers, and industry leaders from every corner of the world. The diversity of perspectives created an atmosphere that felt both collaborative and forward-thinking.

For context: Biologicals are naturally-derived crop protection solutions (including beneficial microbes, plant extracts, and biopesticides) that offer sustainable alternatives to traditional chemical inputs.

The AI Revolution in Biologicals

One theme dominated conversations throughout the three days: artificial intelligence is reshaping the biologicals sector. From formulation optimisation to predictive field performance, AI emerged as a critical enabler for scaling biocontrol solutions with greater precision and reliability.

Key Themes and Market Drivers

Panel discussions and networking at the booths centred on the forces reshaping biologicals:

Regulatory momentum – Streamlined registration pathways in Brazil and China are creating faster routes to market, though European representatives from the EU Commission, OECD, and European Ministries emphasised the need for greater agility and clarity in their processes.

Next-wave technologies – Innovations in pheromones, peptides, nanoparticle formulations, and AI applications are delivering more targeted control. The Start-Up Village, featuring 10 emerging companies, showcased breakthrough solutions addressing current biocontrol challenges.

Strong adoption of IPM – Integrated Pest Management and multi-strain microbials (Trichoderma, Bacillus, Pseudomonas) are improving consistency and reducing spray frequency.

Expanding market demand – Growth is accelerating in fruit, vegetable, nut, and seed-treatment segments.

Collaboration across sectors – The joint session with UNEP on biocontrol and finance explored how industry, research, and investment can work together to accelerate adoption.

Farmer expectations – Growers from different continents shared a clear message: biologicals must be understood clearly, deliver reliable performance, and create real value in the field.

The Bottom Line

Farmers come first. This principle ran through every session. Biologicals must be understood clearly, deliver reliable performance, and create real value in the field. ABIM 2025 reinforced that the industry is moving in the right direction – with the right partnerships, regulatory progress, and technology innovation to make it happen.