The growing biopesticide market represents a pivotal opportunity for sustainable agriculture in the Global South. Rising environmental awareness, regulatory pressures on synthetic pesticides, and consumer demand for healthier food systems are driving innovation, investment, and regulatory adaptation in the sector. However, without careful alignment to agroecological principles, the biopesticide industry risks repeating structural and ecological pitfalls seen in the synthetic pesticide sector—such as corporate concentration, input dependency, lack of contextual adaptation and product uniformity.

This policy brief provides a checklist to develop a decentralized, nationally driven biopesticides sector that supports crop diversity, empowers farmers, SMEs, and local innovators (especially among youth).