Boss of biopesticides firm Eden Research calls for more regulatory leniency towards sustainable products

In the latest FFF podcast, we speak to returning guest Sean Smith, the CEO of AIM-listed Eden Research. Smith has a lot of news: an update on its new bird seed treatment; details about a recent fundraise; and talks more broadly about the current biopesticides market.

Eden has been in receipt of good news recently on the regulatory front: with its bird seed treatment Ecovelex winning approval in Italy and its biofungicide Mevalone being granted approval in California.

The CEO of biopesticides firm Eden Research has called for regulators around the world to show more leniency towards more sustainable products.

Sean Smith said: “There is a historic tension between what the regulators are trying to achieve in terms of human health and environmental safety and food chain security and the requirements of farmers being able to produce as much or more with the same amount of land.

“It is an extremely complex issue that takes into account everything from carbon emissions, through to food security, land use management, human health and safety and the presence of problematic chemicals in the environment.

“I don’t envy the job regulators are doing.

“It would be nice to see the regulatory mechanisms, not just in the UK but globally, adapt a bit more and treat sustainable products with a bit more of a favourable approach to help us get these new products to market.

“If you ask a farmer what is their big challenge? The big challenge isn’t that the regulators are removing the incumbent products from the market. The challenge is approving replacements for those.”

Also in the podcast, Smith gives us the latest on Ecovelex and discusses Eden’s latest £9.9m fundraise and much more.