"ABIM 2017: "The biggest biocontrols gathering ever"

Dudutech was at the biggest gathering of the biocontrol industry ever, held in October this year. Tom Mason (Dudutech MD) and Barnaba Rotich (Dudutech Commercial Manager) were among the record-breaking delegation of 1050 people from over 500 companies at the 12th Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) held in Basel, Switzerland.

Recent growth in the biocontrols industry correlates to strong growth in organic farming. According to Lucius Tamm from Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL), organic farming, despite having boomed by 455% in 17 years from 11 million ha to 50 million ha, provides a smaller market than conventional agriculture. This information hints at the optimism for the future of the industry as biocontrols move closer towards improving mainstream awareness and acceptability.

David Cary, IBMA Executive Director said “We are constantly encouraged by the growth in visitor numbers this is a reflection of the Steering Committee’s continuing commitment to promoting a unique event showcasing innovation, excellence and professionalism in the industry.”

ABIM 2017 was also a platform for innovation, information and unprecedented face-to-face networking opportunities. The meeting provided an interactive audience of the world’s leading biological technology producers to 69 individual exhibitions and speeches from industry leaders. Tom Mason said the gathering provided a space for “cross pollination of ideas, commercial opportunities and alliances … in a single forum in Basel, Switzerland.”

Tom Mason went on to say, “it’s also an opportunity for members of the International Biological Manufacturers Association (IBMA) to meet and agree upon how this industry association will represent their voice with regulators and the broader industry. Since the formation of the parent association Bio Protection Global (BPG) in 2014 the board of BPG also congregates to discuss the broader global industry challenges and opportunities. As 2018 president of Bio Protection Global I am trying to drive the success of BPG in a similar fashion to the chemical industry association Crop Life International and we hope to make good progress during the course of 2018, alongside Board Chair Rick Melnick the Brand Manager for Vlaent Bioscienes.”

For more information:
Dudutech
www.dudutech.com

Publication date: Mon 11 Dec 2017