Director Regulatory Affairs CropLife Africa Middle East
From Barriers to Bridges: Measuring Progress of the Biopesticides Sector in Africa and the Middle East with the Biological Crop Protection Products Access (BioCOPPA) Index
Host: D. NDOLO
Abstract
Biopesticides and biological control agents are no longer niche solutions – they are fast becoming essential pillars of sustainable agriculture. Their significance lies in enhancing crop yield and quality, while also providing benefits such as safety, biodegradability, a reduced carbon footprint, minimal residues, and resistance management. Although the agricultural market for biological products is rapidly growing and the advantages are widely recognised, expansion in the Africa and Middle East (AME) region remains below 4%, in contrast to other regions – Asia leads with 43%, followed by North America at 28%, Europe at 14%, and Latin America at 11%. Bridging this disparity requires far more than product innovation; it calls for a supportive ecosystem – an enabling environment built on sound policies, effective governance structures, efficient regulatory frameworks, targeted research and investment programmes, and adaptive social, cultural, and economic norms and practices. Given the interconnectedness of these factors, a robust mechanism to track sectoral progress is essential. Therefore, we propose the development of the Biological Crop Protection Products Access (BioCOPPA) Index – a tool specifically designed for monitoring, evaluating, and measuring progress across the regulatory, institutional, and adoption dimensions of the sector. By providing a structured, holistic metric, the BioCOPPA Index would enable stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of initiatives, identify critical gaps, inform strategic interventions, sustain a continuous pipeline of impactful solutions, enhance productivity, and elevate
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