Tradecorp, Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics Launch the Joint Research Unit Biological Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture
4 April 2022 
The Research Unit will act as an accelerator for the transformation of agricultural production, developing biological solutions for sustainable agriculture.
The ecosystem of sustainable agriculture takes a step forward with the creation of Biological Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture, a joint research unit launched by Tradecorp, a global company specialized in crop biostimulation and sustainable nutrition, in collaboration with the Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP), a joint center between the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) and the National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA/CSIC). CBGP is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence. The goal of this initiative is to develop global bio-based products and solutions for a more sustainable agriculture.
The alliance will work as an innovation accelerator, expanding the ecosystem of action in the field of biostimulants, promoting research, generating knowledge and developing product solutions.
In this context, the Biological Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture research unit aims to offer solutions to the challenges established in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is aligned with the European strategy Farm to Fork which aims to achieve most of the objectives defined in the European Green Deal. These pillars “constitute the European drivers for this new sustainability strategy, which is an opportunity for the CBGP and Tradecorp to respond and contribute to achieving these ambitious objectives,” says Antonio Molina, Director of the CBGP (UPM, INIA/CSIC).
The commitment of the companies in the sector is fundamental, in this concern, José Alfredo García, COO of bionutrition in the Rovensa group explains how “the mission of the bionutrition unit of Tradecorp and Rovensa is to feed the planet through healthy and safe solutions, and for this reason we work promoting sustainable agriculture and contribute to address global challenges such as overpopulation, climate change and the decrease in natural resources.”
Spain is a benchmark in research in the area of agriculture and plant biotechnology, and is considered one of the key players in the rankings of scientific publications worldwide. In this regard, Molina explains that “we have an innovative and responsible agricultural business sector, which is committed to lead a paradigm shift in agricultural production and wants to promote sustainability and leadership in the development of new biological solutions.” He highlights the case of “Tradecorp and the Rovensa group, which have the commitment to lead projects such as Biological Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture, and that with the support of the institutions can contribute to the international leadership of the country in this sustainable transformation of agricultural production.”
For the CBGP, the alliance with Tradecorp “represents a boost in the development of new technologies and products that derive from the excellent R&D activity of the CBGP groups,” adds Molina.
From its side, “Tradecorp will provide its broad experience in testing the efficacy of products and new technologies in real conditions of agricultural production, and in the formulation and industrial production of high-efficiency biostimulants,” says José Nolasco, Strategy & Innovation director of Tradecorp. Currently, biostimulants have become a great development bet in the sector, “as experts in biostimulation and sustainable nutrition of crops, the first projects in the joint unit will focus on biomolecules and microorganisms as new solutions, which are characterized by being safe and sustainable and have shown to contribute to reduce the use of chemical-based inputs and the pollution of soils and environment, and to improve the production of healthier and quality food,” explains José Nolasco.
The research unit will be located in the facilities of the CBGP, which is a Centre that belongs to the Alliance of Centres of Excellence Severo Ochoa and Units of Excellence María de Maeztu Units (SOMMa). The CBGP is internationally positioned as one of the benchmark centres of excellence in Europe in the areas of agriculture and plant biotechnology.
The CBGP has consolidated experience and success background in the development of agrobiological solutions in cooperation with other companies or through the creation of its spin-off companies. In fact, “our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of plant nutrition, adaptation of crops to environmental conditions and the interaction of plants with microorganisms (microbiota) have progressed remarkably in the last decade and this knowledge can now be transferred to the agricultural production with new products and technologies, which is our goal with this initiative with Tradecorp,” concludes Antonio Molina, Director of the CBGP.
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