Reflections from the 2025 European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC) Stakeholder Summit
Bianca Forte
- Three years after the introduction of EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) 2019/1009, the biostimulants industry came together to discuss its impact on innovation at the 2025 EBIC Stakeholder Summit in Brussels
- SugaROx business development director, Bianca Forte, attended as a panellist to share our experience on the impact of the new regulation on start-ups
- Discover her thoughts on the Summit, and learn how SugaROx has been impacted by the regulations
Earlier this month, I joined industry leaders from across Europe at the 2025 EBIC Stakeholder Summit in Brussels. As a panellist, I had the opportunity to share our experience of navigating the evolving regulatory landscape as venture builders at SugaROx.
Three years after the implementation of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) 2019/1009, the Summit made clear that the regulation is a significant milestone for industry growth, but there’s still work to do to ensure innovation isn’t stifled. Here’s what we discussed.
Level playing fields are essential for unlocking private investment
In 2016 SugaROx’s academic co-founders published their results on Trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) in Nature, demonstrating that the external application of a modified version of T6P could significantly boost wheat yields. Since natural T6P cannot be absorbed by plants, Rothamsted and Oxford received strong interest from agrochemical companies and investors, keen to explore the commercial potential of this invention.
Unfortunately, regulatory uncertainty at the time proved a major barrier to securing a licensee or investor.
Previously, companies seeking to commercialise biostimulants had two options:
register their products as plant growth regulators (PGRs), which meant navigating a costly and time-consuming EU approval process;
or register their products as foliar fertilisers at Member State level, a faster and less expensive path, but restrictive on marketing claims.
With the implementation of FPR 2019/1009 approaching, in 2020, Rothamsted and Oxford revisited the opportunity to launch a spin-out. Regulatory frameworks continued to feature prominently in investor discussions.
This time, the emerging clarity on data requirements for certification under FPR 2019/1009 gave investors the confidence that unregulated competitors wouldn’t undercut their backing. SugaROx was born in 2021.
Disproportionate requirements risk slowing innovation to market
Four years on, we’re preparing to formally enter the FPR 2019/1009 certification process, to start in 2026.
The process involves submitting a technical Data Dossier to a Notified Body, demonstrating that our product’s physico-chemical properties, field efficacy, and safety claims conform with the standards developed by CEN, under Mandate M/564.
For biostimulants produced from raw materials like ours, FPR imposes safety testing requirements normally applied for substances produced in quantities of 10 tonnes per year or more (Annex VIII and upwards).
While safety assessments are essential, the extensive testing requirements (normally reserved for higher-risk substances under REACH) add significant time and cost. A more proportionate approach would create a better balance between innovation and safety.
It was reassuring to hear at the Summit that companies within our wider industry share our concerns. As a newer EBIC member, we value the important groundwork laid by earlier members to help shape FPR 2019/1009.
The collective spirit at the Summit was clear; work must continue to refine the regulatory system. This way, new products can reach farmers fast enough to address the impacts of climate change on food production.
Incentives are crucial to restore trust in the industry
Our industry must acknowledge an uncomfortable truth: for decades, biostimulants have operated in a regulatory grey zone. As demand has grown, low-quality products have entered the market, creating inconsistent results and eroding farmer confidence.
The burden is now on all of us, as companies, to rebuild that trust by underpinning claims with robust data. In addition, financial incentives would help to quickly correct past market failings.
By encouraging farmers to trial CE-marked biostimulants, Member States can build confidence with end-users that the FPR 2019/1009 system can be trusted. Once companies with robust, science-based solutions like ours demonstrate results in the field, adoption will take off.
Do you share our vision? Join the SugaROx mission.
At SugaROx, we’re committed to advancing the science of crop stimulation.
Through our B2B model, we collaborate with go-to-market partners who deeply understand farmers’ needs and practices, testing and delivering our solutions across key agricultural markets worldwide.
If you fit that profile, contact us today or follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with our progress.