Biologicals in India and Southeast Asia: Conversion for Sustainability and Organic Food Production

By Renee Targos

India and Southeast Asia countries are focusing on restored soil and food security bringing opportunities for company’s offering biological products. Regional government programs are investing in grower education for sustainable, regenerative, and organic farming practices, helping to forward the adoption of biofertilizers, plant health and biological crop protection.

Government Investments

One project exemplifying investment in agricultural sustainability is the United Nations Global Soil Doctors Programme, where UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its Global Soil Partnership (GSP), are educating Southeast Asian growers on soil health and food security.

In Thailand, in partnership with the GSP, the Thailand government’s Land Development Department conducted hands-on training for growers dealing with paddy soil management and rice production, opening up new farming practices utilizing bioproducts.

In India, another project headed by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Government of India and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is being conducted to improve degraded soil in the Indian states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra through the “Sustainable management and restoration of degraded landscapes for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in India,” started in 2024 with plans for completion in 2029.

This project is a part of India’s commitment to restore 26 million hectares of soil by 2030. Growers are taught to use biological products and ag tech, like soil sensors, for better land management and microbiome restoration.

Harsh Vardhan Bhagchandka, President for IPL Biologicals Limited, says, “Efficient use of biofertilizers helps farmers to substitute fertilizer requirements, improve soil health, enhance nutrient uptake, and give crops an early advantage in germination and vigor—a key components of regenerative agriculture.”

Bhagchandka says biofertilizers mostly being used by India growers are rhizobium, azotobacter, azospirillum as nitrogen fixers, phosphate-solubilizing microbes, and mycorrhizal fungi.

In addition to soil regenerative projects, the Government of India has invested in the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDENER) scheme for the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

“The Government of India initiatives, such as MOVCDENER, support the organic and biological farming practices in Northeastern states,” Final Prajnanta, Head of Commercial Southeast Asia and Pakistan for KingAgroot.

As consumer demand for organic products continues to rise, the MOVCDENER will help growers enter the organic produce market to increase profitability, while also regenerating soil.

“Biopesticides provide eco-friendly pest and disease management without harmful residues, which is especially important for export-oriented crops like fruits and vegetables,” says Bhagchandka. “Integrating these products into crop management strategies not only helps with residue management but also prevents resistance buildup and pest resurgence. Their rising adoption is driven by cost-effectiveness, compatibility with integrated pest management, and the long-term benefits they offer for soil productivity and sustainable farming.”

Some of the more adopted biofungicides in India include: trichoderma spp., pseudomonas fluorescens, and bacillus subtilis.

The more popular biopesticides formulations are based on beauveria, metarhizium and verticillium formulations for insect and pest control (sucking pests, lepidopteran pests, soil dwelling pests like white grubs and mites) and diseases (downy mildew, powdery mildew, fusarium wilt, leaf blights, sheath blight, and foot rot).

A similar program to India’s MOVCDENER in Vietnam is the Organic Agriculture Development Project (2020-2030). The program supports Vietnamese growers’ adoption of organic farming practices and helps them to access local and international organic produce markets.

“Vietnam’s exports of organic agricultural food are increasing to support the growing demand worldwide,” says Prajnanta. “Organic farming is the most common, many provinces are encouraging organic agriculture through government regulations and initiatives.”

For biological companies wanting to enter this market, this project encourages collaboration between the government, growers, and private companies.

Market Gaps and Challenges

As growers face climate change and the conversion costs from chemical to organic or regenerative farming practices, there are gaps and challenges that still need companies to provide support and solutions.

“One area where there’s still a gap is biological herbicides,” says Bhagchandka. “Globally, innovation is just starting in this space, and very few companies are working on it. Until biological herbicides become widely available, weed management can be supported through integrated tools and practices.”

One of the challenges in getting bioherbicides into the hands of growers are “limited in commercialization due to low investment and technology (low stability and source of ingredient),” says Prajnanta.

Other challenges in Southeast Asia include regulatory differences between countries in the region, with some registration processes in only the country’s language.

“The Southeast Asian region faces complex registration requirements for biological products, making it costly for small companies,” says Prajnanta. “Harmonized regulatory frameworks are needed, especially in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand.”

Biological Companies Common Mistakes to Avoid

Registration processes, language barriers, grower education, and packaging are all challenges that biological companies will face bringing products to market in India and Southeast Asian countries.

Here are some other common mistakes that Prajnanta sees smaller companies making:

Underestimating the complexity of registration processes

“Many companies struggle with complex regulatory environments, including inconsistent regulations, lengthy registration processes, and unclear frameworks for biologicals, leading to market delays and increased costs,” says Prajnanta.

Solution: Invest in regulatory navigation, work with contract research organization with in-country knowledge and contacts and understand need for in-country point of contact. Proactively engage with local government authority to harmonize registration processes for bio-crop protection products.

Overpromising product benefits versus market needs

“Bio-crop protection products often have more complex modes of action and slower efficacy compared to synthetic pesticide,” says Prajnanta. “Companies sometimes overpromise efficacy results, which biologicals cannot deliver. Effective education and managing expectations is critical.”

Solution: Realistic communication, farmer education, and data to explain expected outcomes. Manage expectations on product performance relative to synthetic crop protection. Develop or adapt bio-crop protection products to address dominant crop pests and diseases specific to each country and key crops like rice, oil palm (Indonesia and Malaysia), fruits (Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines) and cotton (India).

Big investment

“Large investments in bio-crop protection product technology and sufficient extension services, such as ongoing training for farmers on its use and integration with agricultural methods, are necessary for successful uptake,” says Prajnanta. “In the long run (more than 10 years), this significant investment will yield a good return on investment.”

Solution: Robust distribution, locally adapted solutions, and application training. Provide long-term investment in farmers training, demonstrations, and technical support to build stakeholders understanding and trust in bio-crop protection products. Align messaging with growing global demand and government demand for sustainable, chemical-reduced agricultural products.

Future Solutions

For biological companies investing in research and development to conquer challenges like shelf life, efficacy, and delivery—the future looks positive. With some products lasting up to three years with consistent performance, Indian and Southeast Asian growers are able to confidently use bioproducts successfully.

“Another major shift is the use of microbial consortiums, where two or more beneficial strains are combined in a single product to target a wider range of pests and diseases,” says Bhagchandka. “These new products are being designed to be more concentrated, with higher colony-forming units (CFUs), so farmers can use smaller doses without losing effectiveness. Fully Soluble Powder formulations are also emerging, which can be applied easily through drip irrigation systems and drone, saving time and effort.”

As growers can access more products to support regional government initiatives to support organic, sustainable and regenerative farming, the conversion to permanent new farming practices will happen.

“With stronger farmer education initiatives and supportive government policies, biologicals are slowly but steadily moving into the mainstream,” says Bhagchandka. “Policy measures that promote sustainable practices, along with field-level extension work, can speed this up even further.”  •