Agriculture is essential to the U.S. economy – and to put food on the table for American families. And more than ever, it’s critical to improve the sustainability and output of the agricultural sector.
With food prices rising and drought seriously impacting the Western U.S. in the summer of 2022, technology like plant biostimulants are needed more than ever to mitigate the impact of climate change and geopolitical challenges that threaten the food supply. This requires a clear regulatory pathway. The Plant Biostimulant Act, reintroduced in Congress, would support the market pathway for biostimulants to boost our agricultural sector.
What are plant biostimulants?
Plant biostimulants are substances or microorganisms that, when applied to seeds, plants, or soil around roots, enhance nutrient uptake and efficiency, tolerance to heat or drought, crop quality, or yield.
As Bio.News previously reported, biostimulants can make agriculture more sustainable and can be used to improve natural plant nutritional processes.
According to estimates, the global plant biostimulant market will be worth $5 billion by 2025 and $9.4 billion by 2030, with U.S. interest growing. But there’s no clear regulatory path for bringing biostimulants to the U.S. market.
Legislation could boost biostimulant market
In an effort to improve the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of American agriculture, the Plant Biostimulant Act was reintroduced in Congress with bipartisan support.
Sponsored in the House by Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Jim Baird (R-IN), and in the Senate by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Mike Braun (R-IN), the legislation aims to clarify regulation on biotech advances that can increase food security and reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers.
“The lack of a standard regulatory definition or pathway to market for plant biostimulants makes accessing this innovative technology difficult for the sustainable agriculture industry,” said Rep. Panetta.
As explained on Rep. Panetta’s website, the Plant Biostimulant Act will:
- Amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to define what is a plant biostimulant and exclude it from being regulated under the Act
- Require the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) to revise the existing Code of Federal regulations to include this new plant biostimulant definition
- Require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study how to plant biostimulant products can contribute to soil health
BIO endorses the Plant Biostimulant Act
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) is among the organizations that have endorsed the Plant Biostimulant Act since the bill was introduced in the previous Congress.
Sarah Gallo, BIO’s Vice President for Agriculture and Environment, said at the time that “this legislation will help give full federal recognition of plant biostimulants, and provide a clear pathway to the marketplace for the technology, which is an invaluable new category of agricultural inputs that will improve soil health, water quality, and the overall growth of plants.”
According to Gallo, “cutting-edge, innovative technologies such as plant biostimulant products will be critical to sustainably increasing food production to mitigate food price inflation and enhance agriculture’s resiliency to the stresses of climate change.”
BIO has long supported this technology—including in the 2018 Farm Bill when BIO joined a coalition letter explaining the need for regulatory clarity.
The base language of the bill included a BIO-supported amendment defining “biostimulants” which “will help create a clearer regulatory path for these valuable products.”
