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By Agroempresario.com
In a landmark step toward accelerating the global adoption of agricultural biologicals, Platform10 has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Biological Products Industry Alliance (BPIA), North America’s premier trade organization for ag biologicals. The agreement, made official onstage at the 2025 Salinas Biological Summit in California, represents a powerful collaboration to address some of the most pressing challenges facing biological product innovation and implementation.
The MOU between Platform10 and BPIA outlines a framework designed to streamline field trials, improve product evaluation standards, and, most importantly, build grower trust in biological products like biopesticides, biofertilizers, and biostimulants. As agricultural systems shift toward more sustainable and regenerative models, biologicals are gaining traction as viable alternatives or complements to traditional agrochemicals.
Keith Jones, Executive Director of BPIA, emphasized that this agreement will provide “another avenue to promote greater adoption and use of biological products,” particularly through an international grower-led trial network. Dennis Donohue of Platform10 echoed this sentiment, noting that empowering growers through transparent trials and data-driven insights is critical for long-term success.
As discussed at the Summit, the biologicals sector is growing rapidly—forecasted to reach a market value of $19.6 billion by 2027—but the path forward is not without its hurdles. Variable efficacy, lengthy testing cycles, limited grower outreach, and current funding constraints continue to challenge product developers and distributors.
Peter Wren-Hilton, founder of Wharf42 and co-organizer of the Salinas Biological Summit, stated, “The Summit demonstrated that no company or country could solve all the challenges growers face today.” The MOU, he said, is intended to “accelerate cross-border and counter-seasonal collaboration,” creating a foundation for real, scalable solutions.
Platform10, launched at the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit, has since initiated field trials in key specialty crop regions across the globe. The program is uniquely grower-led, with trials designed to evaluate biological products in real-world agricultural environments. These trials not only generate valuable efficacy data but also foster firsthand grower feedback and adoption.
The new MOU enables BPIA to contribute directly to trial protocol development and review processes. A dedicated task force will help define product criteria, design multi-stakeholder review systems, and establish grower outreach strategies aimed at enhancing adoption rates.
The immediate next steps include completing final field trials in California before expanding to Australia and New Zealand in 2026. According to Wren-Hilton, “The Southern Hemisphere programs allow us to test products across seasons, a key advantage in optimizing biological performance and consistency.”
Platform10 aims to replicate the MOU model with other national and regional industry groups as it scales. “The terms of the MOU provide an excellent template for other countries looking to partner with Platform10,” said Wren-Hilton. By 2026, Platform10 intends to expand its reach into Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
The collaboration between BPIA and Platform10 sets a precedent for transparency and grower empowerment in biological product testing—critical components in scaling the adoption of biologicals globally. In a sector where trust, science, and sustainability intersect, this partnership may be the key to unlocking the next chapter of innovation in agriculture.
