Reducing the large quantities of chemicals (nitrates, phosphates, and ammonium) reaching oceans, which derive from fertilizers employed in agrarian activities and developing biostimulants which contribute to a decrease in traditional fertilizers, as well as developing pesticides that can sustainably eliminate pests are the upcoming challenges the almerian company Biorizon Biotech tackles.
New challenges to improve upon crops
The European Goals set in the Green New Deal aim to achieve an ecological transition that promotes a “healthy” and “sustainable” food system, with established objectives like reducing by 50% the use and risk of pesticides, by 20% the use of fertilizers and by 50% the sales of microbicides employed in livestock farming and aquaculture as well as achieving that one-fourth of agrarian land be destined for ecological production.
Faced with this new situation, Biorizon Biotech starts a new phase which implies a significant leap for the company, developing a new line of biopesticides based on specially selected microalgae.
Biopesticides derived from microalgae, aside from contributing to a reduction in the use of chemical synthesis pesticides, also allow sustainably caring for crops, leaving no residue in fruits and being completely compatible with biological control strategies.
The European Union bets on Biorizon Biotech’s R+D
Respect for the environment has been the main premise leading the actions of this company from its inception.
“Currently, there are many farmers all around the world beginning to understand the benignity of microalgae as biostimulants, and developing biopesticides was our newest challenge” states Joaquin Pozo Dengra, their R+D manager.
The great bet of the European Union in developing biopesticides based on microalgae has allowed for, through our project ALGAENAEUTS and with an investment of 1,5 million euros, a jump-start in the development of solutions that do not exist in the market currently and will turn around completely the concept of pest-control.
Through the call of Blue Economy Window 2020, within the program “European Maritime and Fisheries Fund” The European Union has financed this new project named ALGAENAUTS, whose objective is the total exploitation of biomass in sustainably-grown microalgae used in the production of biopesticides and biostimulants from residual biomass derived from the process of biopesticides production under a concept of circular bioeconomy with zero residues.
Circular and Blue Economy
A union between blue economy strategy and circular bioeconomy grants a long-term sustainable model. Both are proponents of natural resource use under a model of total exploitation with zero residues. Meaning that what was once waste enters back again in the economic process as raw material in the procurement of new products.
In contrast to green economy, which requires companies to invest larger sums and costumers to pay more to obtain the same in exchange for preserving the environment, circular bioeconomy understands waste as a resource and seeks solutions inspired by natural design.
Healthier oceans with crops free of nitrates or phosphorus
Biorizon Biotech, which was recently rewarded with the Sustainable Economy Award thanks to their “contribution to the reduction in the carbon footprint”, has been working to mitigate the severe problems nitrogen and phosphorus derived from traditional fertilizers are causing in inland bodies of water and seas, such as in “Mar Menor”
Reducing the use of these components positively impacts aquatic ecosystems and therefore our ecosystem too.
Research carried out for several years intending to allow farmers to grow quality crops sustainably and productively will make it possible in 2022 for a line of products to revolutionize the concept of sustainable agriculture.
Being able to control pests sustainably and develop biostimulants to solve our problems with nitrates and phosphorus will impact quite positively our health as humans by extension of health in oceans and crops.