Frost & Sullivan: The North American and Western European Biopesticides Markets Will Grow Strong Thanks to Chemical-free Crops

11-20-2009: The biopesticides market in Western Europe and North America is growing strongly. The increasing demand for chemical-free crops, paralleled by the expansion of land for organic farming, has led to augmented usage of biopesticides. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan North American & Western European Biopesticides Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $594.2 million in 2008 and estimates this to reach $1020.2 million in 2015. The following markets are covered in this research: microbial biopesticides, beneficial insects and biochemical pesticides.

“The major growth factor for the biopesticides market is the escalating demand for chemical free crops by end users and supermarkets,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Yeshwanth Kumar Desikamani. “Major supermarket chains including Walmart and Tesco, among others, are demanding chemical-free crops, fruits and vegetables.”

Governments in these regions are supporting the reduction in the level of chemicals used in agriculture with regulations limiting maximum residue levels (MRL) levels. This is a significant growth factor for biopesticides. However, biopesticides do not represent a stand-alone solution for treating crop diseases. Nor should they be viewed as a solution to reduce insect infestation.

“In this market, beneficial insects, which are considered natural enemies of plant pests, cannot be used to cure fungal, bacterial or viral diseases,” explains Yeshwanth. “Thus, they cannot be used as standalone products.”

However, market participants could create a beneficial insect product and a biofungicide that does not harm beneficial insects or other living organisms. It could thus have an optimal effect, without jeopardising the impact of other helpful products or organisms. The establishment of integrated pest management (IPM) and integrated crop management (ICM) programs, which use the technical and product expertise of the manufacturer for efficient tackling of problems, will be critical to market development.