Advancing Sustainable Agriculture: Bioceres
The Problem
As the global population is projected to reach 10 billion by 2057, safeguarding the world’s food supply through crop protection becomes increasingly crucial. However, part of that effort includes traditional pesticides, which pose significant environmental hazards, endangering biodiversity and the health of farmers who handle these chemicals. With nearly 40 percent of global crops intended for human consumption lost due to pre-harvest pests, there is a great demand for sustainable alternatives.
The Technology
Bioceres Crop Solutions, a leader in pest management and plant-health solutions, sought to address this challenge by introducing BIOst® Nematicide, an innovative, broad-spectrum seed treatment that combats nematodes, insects and other pests. Utilizing naturally occurring microorganisms, it provides effective pest control while aligning with sustainable agricultural practices. BIOst has a significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint compared to traditional insecticides, and is virtually non-toxic to humans, bees, and other beneficial organisms.
The Boundless Solution – Baseline LCA
To validate the environmental safety and performance of the BIOst Nematicide, Bioceres engaged with Boundless to conduct a comprehensive, scientifically-backed Environmental Impact Analysis providing valuable insights into the product’s environmental performance and impact, measuring it against traditional chemical pesticides.
Boundless’ unique Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology resulted in reliable and actionable data across the environmental impact analysis of seven key performance indicators: Soil Toxicity, Human Toxicity, Ecosystem Impact, Carbon Return on Investment, and GHG Footprint.
The Outcome
Boundless’ Environmental Impact Analysis demonstrated BIOst’s clear environmental and health improvements in the biopesticide industry, thanks to its very low to nonexistent health and environmental hazards, and its low GHG Footprint. Those findings enabled Bioceres to make precise, data-driven adjustments to the production of BIOst, further enhancing its eco-friendly profile while validating its commercial viability as a cleaner, safer alternative to traditional pesticides.
Armed with this information, Bioceres entered discussions with the USDA to expand the scope of grants awarded to companies advancing climate-smart agricultural solutions. Having a Boundless’ Baseline LCA as supporting evidence made the USDA more receptive to Bioceres’ outreach, and to its recommendations on sustainable agricultural practices overall.
“The data we received started a discussion with the USDA about how climate-smart agriculture practices can incorporate other practices, like ours. When we provided them with a life cycle analysis, the USA was immediately more open to discussion”
Boundless' LCA and GHG Inventory analysis provided an indication of how Bioceres performs within its market along with mitigation tactics to reduce their environmental impact. Bioceres has since made improvements in their production process, based on hotspots uncovered through Boundless' analyses, which have showcased carbon footprint reductions across their manufacturing.
“The data we received started a discussion with the USDA about how climate-smart agriculture practices can incorporate other practices, like ours. When we provided them with a life cycle analysis, the USA was immediately more open to discussion,” says Keith Pitts, SVP of Sustainability and Regulatory Strategy at Bioceres.