BioAgTech World Congress begins in Raleigh this week

The 5th BioAgTech World Congress, produced with the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative at North Carolina State University, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, kicks off today and runs through Thursday at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh.

About 1,300 people are expected to attend the global conference, which will explore topics of biopesticides, biostimulants, biofertilizers and other bioag tools important for farmers across the globe. 

“It’s an exciting time in life sciences, especially in the ag tech community here in North Carolina,” said Michelle VonCannon, events and engagement manager, Economic Development and Statewide Operations, NCBiotech. “North Carolina is a great entry point for global partners looking to expand in the U.S. We have a lot of assets here, and we’re eager to share that with them.”

This is the first time that the BioAgTech World Congress has come to North Carolina. In previous years, the conference was held in Brazil, Spain and virtually in 2021.

“Countries like the U.S. and centers like NCBiotech are taking the lead to help to try to find innovative solutions for all farmers who are typically left alone to find their own innovations,” said Roger Tripathi, CEO of BioAg Linkages, which organizes and runs the conference.

Tripathi said the global reach of the event is because bioag touches all corners of the world: Europe is the largest market, followed by North America. Latin America is the fastest growing, and Asia has huge untapped potential, he said.

“Many of the farms in the world are large, and many times it’s easiest to roll out innovations for those large farms and that makes a lot of sense,” said Paul Ulanch, senior director of stewardship, Focused Initiatives at NCBiotech. “However, most farms in the world are small. In North Carolina the average farm is 184 acres, and that means half the farms here are smaller than that. 

“We want to make sure when innovations are developed here in North Carolina or elsewhere that it has access to those farms. That the farms can leverage that new opportunity for improving their profitability and productivity, and a lot of the products that will be discussed will do just that,” Ulanch said.

The BioAgTech World Congress features many sessions with international scope that address urgent agricultural challenges, such as biopesticides and soil health management. These sessions demonstrate the congress's commitment to tackling real-world agricultural issues with innovative bioag solutions, making the content appealing to those interested in technological advancements and sustainable practices, Tripathi said.

Tripathi said that the congress is produced “by the bioag industry for the bioag industry” and unites continents, allowing for face-to-face networking to grow distribution networks and offer the latest technological advances in bioag. 

To attend, visit the BioAgTech World Congress registration page.