We spoke with Boundless Impact Research & Analytics (Boundless) to find out whether biocontrols really live up to their green promises and to learn how Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are used to rigorously compare their environmental impact with that of chemical crop protection technologies, such as pesticides, insecticides, and nematicides.

In the race to make agriculture more sustainable, biological alternatives like biopesticides and biocontrols are gaining traction. They promise reduced chemical use, lower emissions, and safer impacts on ecosystems. But with sustainability claims everywhere, how can we be sure they aren’t just greenwashing? That’s where LCA comes in.

What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

LCA is a rigorous, science-based methodology used to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product or process across its full life cycle — from raw material extraction to manufacturing, use and disposal, including circularity components. It considers key metrics like:

• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Water use
• Resource depletion
• Energy intensity
• Biodiversity impacts
• Circularity and waste

One organisation that the CABI BioProtection Portal engages with, Boundless Impact Research & Analytics, specializes in ISO140441 and 140672-compliant, independently reviewed LCAs that are designed to be both technically rigorous and easy to interpret. Boundless utilizes science-based impact analysis, industry-specific Environmental Key Performance Indicators (EKPIs) benchmarks, and AI-driven data to conduct a cradle-to-grave LCA that validates and differentiates sustainable products, reduces investment risk, and supports credible reporting.

Boundless has completed assessments of dozens of clean-tech products and projects across clean technology industries (renewable energy, food and ag, bioenergy and bioproducts), for clean technology investors and companies (venture stage to public companies), ESG data services providers, and for large governmental and private institutions (US Departments of Energy and Defense, XPRIZE Foundation).

Are Biocontrols Really Better for the Planet?

The short answer: Yes, and LCAs can be used to prove it.

While synthetic crop control products often involve energy-intensive manufacturing and fossil-based feedstocks, biologicals (like biopesticides and microbial controls) tend to be far less resource-intensive in the upstream stages. LCAs conducted for a variety of bionematicides and biopesticides show that:

• Biologicals have significantly lower GHG emissions during production.
• Water and energy use in manufacturing is generally lower.
• Biodiversity impacts post-field application can be reduced.
• Overall carbon footprints are often lower than those of comparable synthetic products.

However, context matters. Total emissions depend on factors like formulation type, application rates, efficacy, and field conditions. Boundless translates raw data into decision-ready insights by benchmarking against their proprietary performance database, ensuring every metric is grounded in meaningful, science-based context.

Supporting IPM and Climate-Smart Agriculture

LCAs are critical tools for advancing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and climate-smart agriculture.

By quantifying and comparing environmental impacts across practices, LCAs can:

• Demonstrate cost-competitiveness from a production standpoint
• Guide research and development towards more sustainable product designs, formulations, and field application techniques
• Support upstream Scope 3 emissions reduction strategies for biocontrol manufacturers by identifying the raw materials suppliers with the lower carbon/environmental footprint
• Support downstream Scope 3 emissions reduction strategies for biocontrol manufacturers (also scope 1 emissions for farmers) by identifying the biocontrol products with the lower carbon/environmental footprint
• Validate claims for carbon labelling, sustainability certifications, and corporate reporting

In short, LCAs make it easier to adopt biocontrols not just because they seem greener, but because they can be proven to be.

How Investors Use LCA Data to Spot Real Sustainability

Investors are increasingly wary of vague green labels. They want data-backed metrics that can help identify scalable, impactful technologies. LCAs support these decisions most effectively when paired with complementary tools like Technoeconomic Analysis (TEA). Together, they enable:

• Carbon Return on Investment (CROI) metrics, which link environmental performance with financial efficiency.
• Conducting hybrid technoeconomic and environmental performance benchmarking to test engineering decisions, scalability claims and financial viability
• Applying a Data Integrity Scoring Matrix to evaluate how trustworthy reported sustainability claims really are
• Providing risk mitigation through third-party, science-based validation that helps investors identify technologies with strong potential

For biocontrol startups and established agtech players alike, this level of analysis provides a competitive edge and builds real credibility.

From Field to Policy: Making Science Matter

It’s not just companies and investors who need clarity; policymakers do too.

By making complex LCA and TEA results accessible for non-technical audiences, it’s possible to engage with organisations early in the assessment process to ensure that the data aligns with real-world decision-making needs. As governments roll out new sustainability reporting frameworks—from the EU’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to the U.S. Security Exchange Commission’s (SEC) climate disclosure rules—LCA is quickly becoming a foundational tool for demonstrating compliance.

Are Biocontrols Just Greenwashing?

No. When evaluated through a rigorous, transparent LCA lens, biocontrols consistently demonstrate lower environmental impacts than many conventional chemical pesticides.

But claims alone aren’t enough anymore, and they shouldn’t be. In an era where every brand is sustainable, only those backed by credible, science-based assessments will earn long-term trust from consumers, investors, regulators and policymakers.