Bioinputs as a Key to Sustainable Agriculture – Insights from Our Webinar

Biological — inputs often referred to as bioinputs (Spanish: bioinsumos) — are gaining rapid relevance worldwide. Stricter regulations on chemical pesticides, rising production costs, fertilizer price volatility, and increasing demand for sustainably grown food are driving farmers, companies, and entire value chains to seek alternatives.

Bioinputs offer multiple opportunities: they strengthen soil fertility, enhance natural resilience, and reduce dependency on synthetic inputs—thereby supporting both environmental and economic stability. At the same time, market expectations are rising, with buyers and consumers increasingly seeking products with a lower chemical footprint.

Against this backdrop, we hosted the webinar “ Biological Plant Protection in Tropical Fruit Cultivation – Insights into Research and Practice“ on 27 May 2026, organized by GNF, Food for Biodiversity, and GIZ.

Project Insights – Del Campo al Plato (CAP)

Sussan Morales (GIZ Costa Rica) introduced the Del Campo al Plato (CAP) project, which integrates biodiversity into pineapple and banana value chains in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The project is part of the Biodiversity and Business portfolio and works through public-private partnerships to support companies and other actors in generating impact at farm, national, and international level.

CAP follows a bottom-up approach and includes components such as bioinputs, biodiversity action plans, accelerator programmes, women-led innovation, and financial mechanisms. More than 140 biodiversity action plans are currently under implementation in both countries, alongside 18 projects led by women focusing on bioinputs, circular economy, and biodiversity integration.

Recent developments include the approval of a national bioinput strategy in Costa Rica and the establishment of a dialogue platform on bioinputs in the Dominican Republic. Through these activities, the project supports partners in translating sustainability commitments into concrete measures on the ground.

BIO IMPULSA – Scaling Bioinput Production through the BioImpulsa Accelerator

Juan Carlos Moscoa Dobles (GIZ) presented the BioImpulsa acceleration programme, which aims to scale and support the production and use of biological inputs in pineapple and banana cultivation in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The programme supports up to 12 biofactories and laboratories. Support ranges from technical development and scaling of production processes to strengthening quality control, biosafety, infrastructure, and business models. A strong emphasis is placed on environmental impact, economic viability, and social inclusion, including a gender-responsive approach.

Preliminary findings from Costa Rica show a relatively advanced sector: most biofactories already operate medium-scale facilities, with 67% focusing on microbiological production and over 80% equipped with key production technologies. While biosafety practices are well established, gaps remain in quality control systems and laboratory analysis. Commercialisation also presents opportunities, as many facilities still produce primarily for internal use.

Key challenges include limited infrastructure, equipment, and technical training, alongside strong demand for capacity-building in areas such as bioreactor management. Overall, the sector shows significant potential but requires greater institutional support and knowledge dissemination to scale sustainably.

CENIBiot-CENAT-CENIBiot – Bioles: Advancing Low-Cost and Scalable Bioinputs through Research

Emmanuel Araya Valverde (Centro Nacional de Alta Tecnología, Costa Rica) presented the role and potential of bioles, a fermented liquid bioinput derived from organic residues, as a low-cost solution for more sustainable agriculture. Bioles are already widely used in practice, but often lack standardisation, with significant variability in raw materials, production methods, and quality.

His presentation highlighted ongoing research efforts to better understand and optimise bioles through scientific analysis, standardised protocols, and field validation. Results from multi-year trials in crops such as coffee and lettuce show that bioles, particularly when enriched with nutrients, can achieve yields and product quality comparable to conventional fertilisation, while significantly reducing production costs.

Microbiological and genomic analyses further indicate that bioles contain stable and beneficial microbial communities, including nitrogen-fixing and phosphorus-solubilizing organisms, without introducing harmful pathogens. Importantly, results across different production batches show a high degree of reproducibility when production protocols are controlled.

Despite this strong potential, key challenges remain, including the need for standardisation, improved quality control, and deeper scientific characterisation of bioactive components. Overall, bioles were presented as an accessible and scalable innovation with high relevance for smallholder systems, offering a promising pathway to reduce dependence on synthetic inputs while supporting productive and sustainable farming systems.

SOS Carbon – From Invasive Seaweed to Sustainable Agricultural Inputs

Elena Martinez (SOS Carbon) presented an innovative approach to transforming invasive seaweed into sustainable agricultural inputs, highlighting the strong interlinkages between marine and land-based ecosystems. Large-scale seaweed blooms, driven by climate change and nutrient runoff, pose significant environmental and economic challenges, but also represent an underutilised resource.

SOS Carbon has developed a value chain that harvests invasive seaweed and upcycles it into bio-based agricultural products, particularly biostimulants. Using patented systems that retrofit existing fishing vessels, the approach combines environmental remediation with local job creation. The harvested biomass is treated as a valuable raw material, enabling the extraction of bioactive compounds such as amino acids, polysaccharides, and phytohormones that enhance plant growth and resilience.

Field trials across various crops demonstrate significant benefits, including higher yields, improved product quality, and increased tolerance to stress conditions such as drought or high radiation. Results also indicate the potential to substantially reduce, and in some cases replace, synthetic fertilisers while maintaining or improving productivity.

By addressing both the supply challenge of sustainable raw materials and the need for effective alternatives to conventional inputs, the approach offers a circular and scalable solution. Overall, the presentation highlighted the strong potential of marine-based bioinputs to support more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.

IBMA – Biocontrol – Insights into Research & Practice

Brigitte Kranz (International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association, IBMA) provided an overview of the role, potential, and challenges of biocontrol solutions in Europe. Biocontrol refers to products of natural origin, including microorganisms, beneficial insects, and pheromones and is already well established in high-value crops such as fruits and vegetables, particularly in protected cultivation systems.

Her presentation highlighted that the uptake of biocontrol is often driven by external pressures, such as pesticide resistance or residue concerns. A key example is the rapid transition in Almería, Spain, where pesticide scandals and resistance issues led to a large-scale shift towards biological pest control within a few years.

While biocontrol has achieved strong success in certain sectors, its adoption in arable farming remains limited due to higher costs, lower margins, and a lack of established farming practices adapted to biological solutions. Expanding its use therefore requires not only new products but also systemic changes in farming approaches, including integrated pest management and knowledge transfer.

Despite increasing research activity and a growing number of biological active substances, regulatory barriers remain a major challenge in the EU. Lengthy and complex approval procedures slow down market access and innovation compared to other regions. Overall, the presentation underscored that while Europe has strong foundations for biocontrol, enabling policies and faster authorisation processes will be crucial to fully realise its potential.

Conclusion

The transition to bioinputs continues to move from vision to practice. This year’s webinar highlighted not only the growing relevance of biological alternatives, but also the concrete progress being made in scaling their production, application, and integration into agricultural value chains. Bioinputs are increasingly recognized as a key component of resilient farming systems, supporting soil health, reducing dependency on synthetic inputs, and strengthening long-term sustainability.

At the same time, discussions made clear that the transition requires coordinated efforts across the entire value chain. From research and innovation to enabling policies and market incentives, stakeholders must work together to create the conditions in which bioinputs can reach their full potential. In particular, producers, especially smallholders, continue to need targeted support, capacity building, and access to knowledge and financing.

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