Farming- Solutions
Futureco Bioscience invests in biocontrol solutions in Africa
Agriculture is, and will remain for years to come,
needs. Addi onally, compliance with a number of
the main driver of economic development in
complex requirements covered by plant
already authorized in various countries on the
Africa. Hor cultural crops as corn, maize, wool,
protec on product legisla on makes this process
American con nent.
co on, tobacco, tea, coffee, sugar cane, nuts,
not available to all companies. Created in 2004
The ac ve substance of the bioinsec cide
seeds, grapes, orchards and cut flowers are
and based in Olèrdola (Barcelona), Futureco
NOFLY®, based on the entomopathogenic fungus
important sources of both cash and nutri on.
Bioscience is an agro-biotechnology company
Paecilomyces fumosoroseus strain FE 990, has
Insect pests and diseases, however, can reduce
dedicated to research and innova on in crop
been authorized in Europe in 2013 and registered,
yields by up to 80% and farmers o en resort to
protec on and nutri on products. Characterized
for the first me in Africa, in Kenya in 2014 (under
using chemical pes cide to mi gate the problem. Given the concerns posed by pes cides and their long term nega ve effects, already visible in the environment, the use of biological products is high on the list of near-term ac vi es iden fied in ac on plans both na onal and regional level in Africa. Moreover, while the Food and Agriculture Organiza on of the United Na ons (FAO) emphasizes the need of alterna ves to pes cides, the markets for African products exporta on, especially Europe, require compliance with strict maximum residue limit (MRL) standards, pushing African farmers to adopt clean solu ons. The issue to overcome remains the limited access to informa on and the products availability that, even for biological control products that are already present in the market, varies greatly between countries. The development of biocontrol products requires specific skills and competencies, con nuous innova on in technology and logis c and marke ng strategy focused on specific customer
since its crea on by an ecological and sustainable
the brand name PACYLOS®). Registered in
approach, and a focus on regenera ve
Morocco in 2018, it is in the registra on process in
agriculture, the company is dis nguished by its in
Senegal, Mali and Ivory Coast and it is already
house organiza on. Research, development and
approved for its use in several European
manufacture of its products happen en rely in its
countries, USA and La n America. The use of
own headquarters from which the products are
NOFLY® is recommended for the control of
marketed globally. Futureco Bioscience,
different species of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci,
following its goals of increasing its horizon and
Trialeurodes vaporariorum, Aleurodicus
promo ng a culture of sustainable and
dispersus, Lecanoideus floxisimus) and thrips
e nv i ro n m e n t- r e s p e c u l a g r i c u l t u r e , i s
(Frankliniella occidentalis). Nevertheless, several
determined to push forward the current market
field trials carried out in Kenya (2013), Ivory Coast
of their clean products (bioes mulants and
(2018) and Mali (2017-18) showed that NOFLY® is
biocontrol) in Africa.
able to control also aphids in beans, the co on
BESTCURE®, a biofungicide-biobactericide based
bollworm Helicoverpa armígera, the co on leaf
on a botanical extract of citrus species, was the
roller Haritalodes derogata, the sucking pest
first biopes cide of the company Futureco
Jacobiella fascialis and the spiny bollworm Earias
Bioscience marketed in Africa. Ini ally registered
sp. in co on.
in South Africa in 2012 for the control of grey
Avoiding the indiscriminate use of broad-
mold (Botry s cinerea) in vines, and black rot
spectrum insec cides that can wipe out pests'
(Xanthomonas camprestris) in tomatoes. More
natural enemies in Africa is possible, and should
crops and diseases (Xanthomonas arboricola in
be a priority: Futureco Bioscience products are
Prunus and Alternaria in tomato) were later
the natural way to do it.
included in its authoriza on. The product is
www.africaagricultureinsight.com
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currently being registered in Morocco and is
