Brazilian Legislation Leaning Towards Fast Registration of Biological Control Agents to Benefit Organic Agriculture

Abstract

Brazil is one of the main users of chemical pesticides in the world. These products threaten human and environmental health, and many of them are prohibited in countries other than Brazil. This paradigm exists in contrast with worldwide efforts to make the need for food production compatible with biodiversity conservation, preservation of ecosystem services, and human health. In this scenario, the development of sustainable methods for crop production and pest management such as organic agriculture and biological control are necessary. Herein, we describe how the process of registration of natural enemy-based products in organic agriculture is simpler and faster than the conventional route of chemical insecticides and can favor the development of the biological control market in Brazil. Since the regulatory mechanisms have been established in Brazil for organic agriculture, the number of biological control products registered has increased exponentially. Today, 50 companies and associations are marketing 16 species/isolates and 95 natural enemy-based products. Although this scenario presents a series of new opportunities to increase and stimulate a more sustainable agriculture in the country, biological control is not always aligned with the aims and philosophy of organic agriculture and agroecology. Therefore, we also argue that new research efforts are needed on understanding how conservation biological control strategies can be integrated with augmentation biological control to promote a sustainable agriculture under the concepts of organic agriculture and agroecology.

Manipulation of Agricultural Habitats to Improve Conservation Biological Control in South America

“…Regardless, most conventional Brazilian farmers do not allow noncrop vegetation within agricultural fields, but instead, occasionally allow noncrop plants at the borders of field crops as well as on the top of raised terraces (soil conservation practice). Lastly, it has been shown in small Brazilian tomato farms that increased plant diversity coupled with less intensive conventional farm practices translated into higher biological control of whiteflies, mainly by increasing predator abundance and species richness (Togni et al 2019b).…”

Spatiotemporal dynamics of active flying Diptera predators among different farmland habitats

“…The study was conducted in five organic farms located in the Federal District, Brazil, from May 2013 to April 2014, from January to March 2016, and from July to September 2016. In Brazil, organic agriculture is defined as all cropping systems that maximize the use of natural and socioeconomic resources, promoting economic and ecological sustainability in the long term and replacing external outputs by ecological processes (Togni et al, 2019b). In Brazilian organic agriculture, synthetic pesticides are not allowed for pest control.…”

“…In Brazilian organic agriculture, synthetic pesticides are not allowed for pest control. The list of nonchemical pest control strategies (e.g., biological control, mixtures and botanical insecticides) is regulated and constantly updated by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Food Supply (see details in Togni et al, 2019b).…”

Why has the authorization of microbial biological control agents been slower in the EU than in comparable jurisdictions?

“…Recent studies have confirmed that the EU is lagging behind other countries when it comes to practical implementation of MCAs, and that this is due to the complex and lengthy authorization processes 16,29 . This implies that suboptimal regulatory frameworks have slowed transition towards IPM in pest management and regulation of pest populations through exploitation of ecological interactions between pests and their natural enemies 23,30,31 . It has been shown that the performance of approval processes can have strong effects on the economic incentives to make investments in new technologies and products 32 .…”