The life sciences encompass human, animal and plant health. It’s curious, because many people are surprised when we talk about the fact that plants also get diseases and experience stress. Plant and crop health is so important that the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2020 the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) to help raise awareness in as many countries as possible of how it can help end hunger, protect the environment and boost economic development.
To get an idea of the scope: plantsmade up 80% of all the food we eat and produce 98% of the oxygen we breathe. Plus, the annual value of trade in agriculture products has tripled in the past decade, mainly in emerging economies and developing countries, to $1.7 billion. The FAO estimates production needs to increase 60% by 2050 to cover global food needs (820 million people go hungry today).
Currently, up to 40% of food crops are lost due to plant pests, and this very negative statistic will only get worse due to climate change and globalisation if agriculture and administrations don’t take action by implementing more prevention measures. In addition to pests and diseases, extreme climate conditions, salinity, transplants, lack of water and pesticides also affect crop yield and quality.
For now, in the European Union, Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants went into force last December. We’ll monitor the results of its implementation.
At Bioiberica, we have been helping advance agriculture since 1986, through research and development of pharmaceutical-grade biomolecules for biostimulation, nutrition and bioprotection in plants. We have over 25 products that play an important role in the fight against climate change, as they allow for a more efficient use of fertilisers and more sustainable crop management. As part of the Biostimulants World Congress 2019 held in Barcelona, the company reaffirmed its position as the leading manufacturer of biostimulant solutions based on L-α-amino acids and bioactive compounds.
