Martin Koppert
Martin Koppert is the Chief Business Officer and a member of the Executive Board at
Koppert Biological Systems, a global pioneer in biological crop protection and natural pollination. In his role, Martin leads Koppert’s global business strategy, market expansion, and partnerships, helping scale biological solutions that support growers in producing healthy, resilient crops while reducing reliance on chemical inputs.
Martin brings both an entrepreneurial perspective and deep institutional knowledge to the company’s long-term vision. This blend of financial insight and sustainability-driven leadership enables him to bridge innovation, commercial growth, and the impact on farmers. He is deeply committed to advancing Koppert’s mission of achieving 100 percent sustainable agriculture, working closely with partners, distributors, and growers worldwide. Under his leadership, Koppert continues to strengthen its global presence and accelerate the adoption of biological solutions that contribute to productive, profitable, and environmentally responsible food systems.
The biologicals market is growing quickly, but 2024 also brought challenges. How do you see the current moment for the sector?
2024 was an unusual year, especially in Brazil, where market conditions due to weather and industry dynamics have been challenging across the entire sector. But these are temporary fluctuations. The ongoing trend is clear: growers and farmers increasingly want sustainable, high-performing alternatives to chemical crop protection. This is a moment of opportunity. By investing in innovation and capacity, we can help growers and farmers transition faster to biological solutions and support them with the consistency and reliability they expect.
Koppert Brazil has grown remarkably fast. What is driving that momentum?
Brazil is one of the most dynamic BioAg markets in the world.
Growth: €0 to €150M+ Turnover in 10 years
This reflects both strong market adoption of biologicals and our ability to scale rapidly with high-quality, reliable biological products that solve farmers’ key problems. Brazilian farmers are ambitious, forward-thinking, and open to innovation. When the solutions work consistently, adoption accelerates very quickly.
Recent media have focused on the EUR 100 million investment planned for Brazil. What is the context behind this investment, and why is Koppert organizing it locally?
There has indeed been a lot of attention on this investment. Koppert is a family-owned company, and throughout our history, we have always financed our own growth. We have consistently invested in R&D, innovation, production technologies, and global market development using our own resources — and that foundation remains unchanged.
Brazil, however, operates on a different scale. The level of investment required to fully serve that opportunity is substantial, and the most effective way to finance it is locally. This decision is also part of our broader regionalization strategy. By strengthening our local presence, we match the speed, scale, and financial reality of the local market much more effectively. It gives us access to the right financial instruments and aligns with the payment system of farmers. Koppert Headquarters in the Netherlands remains the majority shareholder and continues to set the strategic direction.
Strategic Expansion in Brazil
The €100M investment facilitates new facilities for:
- Entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria
- Beneficials and nematodes
- Enhanced field support and cold-chain logistics
Brazil is clearly an important growth market. But what trends are you seeing in other regions, and how is Koppert preparing for global demand?
Brazil is a major focus area, but it is only one part of our global growth story. Europe is experiencing strong growth as regulatory pressure increases. To support this, we are tripling our fermentation capacity in the Netherlands, which will significantly expand our ability to supply microbial products at scale for Europe, North America, and beyond.
Koppert emphasizes innovation as a core strategy. What does that mean in practice?
Our innovation strength starts with our
vertically integrated model. The entire biological lifecycle is managed in-house:
R&D
Mass Production
Fermentation
Formulation
Global Cold-Chain
We are also expanding into precision-application technologies, including digital tools and drones. With better monitoring and precise application, biologicals can perform at the level modern agriculture requires.
Partnerships also appear to play a larger strategic role. Can you tell us more about that?
Innovation increasingly happens at the intersection of biology and technology. A good example is HAL Investments, our long-term minority shareholder. HAL provides financial strength that enables us to make multi-year investments in infrastructure and technology ahead of the market. We also collaborate with microbial innovators, application specialists, and digital technology partners across the value chain.
Koppert is often described as a pioneer in biologicals. How do you see your role in the market today?
Koppert has always been the market leader and especially the market developer: we introduce new biological concepts, support adoption in the field, and help build the market. Our role is to help growers succeed by translating biological innovation into practical, reliable, and profitable solutions on the farm.
What are the next priorities for Koppert globally?
We will continue expanding our production infrastructure, strengthen our beneficials and microbial pipelines, deepen digital integration, and broaden our footprint in high-growth regions. The future of sustainable agriculture will be shaped by the intelligent combination of biological innovation and technological precision.
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