A review of global regulatory processes for registering biological crop protection products has generated a series of recommendations for improvements to biopesticide regulation in New Zealand.
The knowledge review by international researcher Roma Gwynn was undertaken for A Lighter Touch as part of its regulatory pathway improvement project. This project aims to facilitate tailored changes to the regulatory pathway in order to help growers gain access to more biological crop protection options for pest and disease management.
Biological crop protection products are expected to play a key role in growers moving to ‘lighter touch’ growing practices, but they currently go through the same regulatory approval process as synthetic chemistry in New Zealand. Data presented at the 2024 Biologicals Summit in Salinas, California, showed sales of biological products globally is two to three times faster than conventional chemistry’s growth rate, and biologicals are predicted to overtake synthetic chemistry sales by 2040.
The review found New Zealand currently has around 50 biopesticide active substances available in products for farmers and growers to use, compared to 445 in the United States and 214 in the European Union. These statistics demonstrate that a wide range of biological products are readily available globally, and there’s a need for the New Zealand regulatory system to better support these products coming to market for farmers and growers.
The review aimed to identify barriers and opportunities, make a comparative assessment of biopesticide registration provisions in other jurisdictions, and subsequently make recommendations for regulators and government agencies to consider for improvements to the approval process for registration of biopesticides in New Zealand.
It makes a series of recommendations for adjustment to biopesticide regulation in New Zealand including the possibility of forming a Biopesticide Hub consisting of a team from both ACVM and EPA, a programme of capacity building in biopesticides and proposals for optimising the application and evaluation process. Read the review here.
The review said the goal of developing a facilitating system for biopesticides would be to remove unnecessary barriers to their approval and registration. In doing so, New Zealand growers would have more products available, allowing them to implement good plant protection practices, integrated pest management and to remain competitive nationally and internationally.
The regulatory approaches recommended to speed up biopesticide registration in New Zealand also considered the need to maintain a good level of safety for people and the environment, the review said.
Both New Zealand regulatory bodies, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), which regulates hazardous substances and new organisms, and NZ Food Safety (NZFS), which is responsible for Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVMs), were briefed on the review and its purpose, and were supportive. The regulators were provided with a copy of the report in advance for their consideration.
Programme Director of A Lighter Touch, Livia Esterhazy, recently back from an international conference on biocontrol also acknowledges the current constraints of New Zealand regulators and notes that many international jurisdictions had similar constraints. However, a number have been specifically funded to support the implementation of dedicated frameworks and pathways to advance regulation of biologicals.
The Deputy Director General, New Zealand Food Safety, Vincent Arbuckle welcomed the review, and looked forward to working with the stakeholders to advance these products, recognising that ACVM is already working on the Ministry for Regulation’s Review recommendations which aims to streamline the regulatory system whilst protecting New Zealand’s trade and animal welfare reputation. Given fixed resources, an agreement by industry to prioritise biopesticides registrations would be a game-changer.
EPA Chief Executive, Dr Allan Freeth, also welcomed the review, saying the EPA supports innovation in the agricultural and horticultural sector, especially in the shift towards “softer” or “greener” products that may have benefits for environmental and human health. Dr Freeth acknowledged many of the report’s recommendations are consistent with both the recommendations of the Ministry for Regulation review and EPA work already underway. This includes increased use of lower-risk pathways and a prioritisation framework to identify applications that will have the biggest impact in protecting the environment, the health of people and communities, and supporting the economy.
Livia Esterhazy says ALT believes there is a desire from all parties to find a way forward. “This is an opportunity for industry and regulators to work together on changes to improve access for New Zealand growers to biological crop protection solutions.”
