ABIM 2025: A Milestone Celebration
ABIM 2025 was an anniversary for the industry, celebrating 30 years of IBMA and 20 years of ABIM, and what a celebration it was! As a multifaceted industry meeting, it combined high-level presentations, business-to-business networking, and an unforgettable anniversary party.
The program was packed, featuring 72 speakers across 7 sessions and 3 workshops, 90 posters, and 4 Bernard Blum Award winners. Alongside the core agenda, IBMA Professional Group, National Association, and Working Party meetings drove the industry’s strategic direction forward.
The keynote speech from Gabriele Schachermayr (Assistant Director, Federal Office for Agriculture in Switzerland) discussed how the Swiss government is addressing gaps in crop protection by modernising IPM practices and aligning with action plans to reduce plant protection product risks through value-chain collaboration.
The Farmer’s Voice
Farmers from Australia, Kenya, and Finland highlighted three critical factors for the transition to biocontrol:
- Usability: Making biocontrol products easy for farmers to integrate.
- Consumer Engagement: Educating consumers so they demand biocontrol-grown products at supermarkets.
- Regulatory Speed: Accelerating authorisations globally, especially in Europe.
Innovation was at the heart of the exhibition, featuring a dedicated Start-up Village to facilitate emerging businesses. The workshops and sessions covered a diverse range of cutting-edge topics:
OECD Peptide Risk Assessment
ESG Banking Standards for BioAg
UNEP FARM Project (India)
Rainforest Alliance Actions
Global policy sessions further explored biocontrol frameworks in Brazil, New Zealand, and the EU, ensuring a truly international perspective on the sector’s “coming of age.”
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