by admin | Nov 1, 2025 | Platform10
Last week, I joined 2,000+ delegates for Day 3 of the ABIM 2025 Conference in Basel, Switzerland. It was an awesome 72 hours.
The conference provided me with an in-depth understanding of the landscape for European biocontrol. Whilst the regulatory environment is challenging, the depth of innovation I viewed is staggering. Over 170 exhibitors provided a vast array of biological solutions based on significant science and research input. Evidence that the sector is maturing rapidly.
ABIM also provided me with the opportunity to present Platform10 to conference delegates. I’m still processing the feedback.
I had the pleasure of sharing the Platform10 opportunity with key stakeholders in the European biocontrol market. The challenges that growers face here are similar in nature to many that I experience across the world.
Viewing ‘Europe’ as a single entity might be appropriate in a political context, but not one that applies across agriculture. The opportunities and challenges facing growers in Finland are very different to those facing growers in Spain or Greece. Recognizing those differences has been a key part of my learning.
So, what are the next steps? In the US, Platform10 signed a significant partnership agreement in June with the Biological Products Industry Alliance. As North America’s leading biological industry group, this agreement provides Platform10 with significant technical and logistical support as we build on the first set of field trials in California. In Europe, we have identified a similar partnership opportunity which will bring significant support as we scope out our first European field trials in 2026. I’ll be sharing more details about this over the coming weeks.
Thanks to the team at ABIM and IBMA who made me so welcome in Basel. The week provided a significant platform from which to build. We look forward to making it happen!
by admin | Jul 15, 2025 | Uncategorized
The Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) leads and represents commercial banana growers to ensure a profitable and resilient industry future.
If there’s a new regulation or initiative that’s going to affect banana growers the ABGC ensures growers’ views are heard.
ABGC runs several industry development projects, and as the industry advocate, it manages strategic industry issues for the industry. These include strategies and representations to governments to address Panama TR4, imports and other biosecurity matters, worker access, best management practice, industry regulations, cyclone impacts, supply chain issues and more.
The ABGC also makes representations on behalf of banana growers to Hort Innovation on issues relating to the investment of levy-based and matched Australian Government funding on research and development and the investment of levy funds into industry marketing programs.
On 6-8 August 2025, Wharf42 founder & CEO, Peter Wren-Hilton, will be speaking at this year’s Congress venue on Australia’s Gold Coast.
You can learn more at Australian Banana Industry Congress,
by admin | Apr 7, 2025 | Platform10
Wharf42 & Platform10 were delighted to attend and exhibit at last week’s BPIA Annual Meeting in Sacramento.
As well as exhibiting at the event, the BPIA Board hosted a ‘Platform10 Grower Partnership Initiative: Strengthening Industry Collaboration’ breakout session. At the standing room only session, delegates shared views as to how BPIA and its members could in the words of the Board – recruit experts who will be part of a governance team to provide guidance to the strategic development, management, and oversight of this multi-year initiative.
With an existing commitment already secured to support grower-led field trials in California, BPIA’s commitment to support Platform10’s US operations is significant. With a membership that spans the whole breadth of the Biological Products Industry in the US, it is helping create a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ to support growers as they face increasing regulatory and consumer pressures for ‘more biologicals, less chemistry’.
Wharf42 and Platform10 are grateful for the support of the BPIA Board in helping build this significant industry initiative.
by admin | Jul 17, 2024 | 2024 Salinas Biological Summit
Wharf42 and our partners, Western Growers, were delighted to deliver a highly successful 2024 Salinas Biological Summit.
The event surpassed our own expectations with really positive feedback. The program was content-rich and the networking opportunities enabled delegates to meet and engage throughout the two-day event. We were able to announce at the close of the Summit that we will be hosting the 2025 version in Davis.
To learn more about the Summit and view videos of the Program sessions, please visit www.salinas-summit.com
by admin | Feb 27, 2024 | 2024 Salinas Biological Summit
Following last year’s sell-out 2023 Salinas Biological Summit, we are delighted to introduce you to some of the awesome speakers and experts we have lined up for this year’s
2024 Summit June.
- Amy O’Shea – President and CEO, Certis Biologicals
- Carl Casale – Founder, Ospraie Ag Science
- Don Cameron – President of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture; VP and GM of Terranova Ranch
- Jerry Baron – Executive Director, The IR-4 Project
- Josette Lewis – Chief Scientific Officer, Almond Board of California
- Julie Henderson – Director, California Department of Pesticide Regulation
- Keith Pitts – SVP, Sustainability and Regulatory Strategy, Bioceres Crop Solutions
- Kevin Andrew – SVP, Operations, Illume
- Pam Marrone – Co-founder & Executive Chair, Invasive Species Foundation and Invasive Species Corporation
- Adrian Percy – Executive Director, N.C Plant Sciences Initiative
- Secretary Karen Ross – California Department of Food & Agriculture
- Sherry Frey – VP, Total Wellness – NielsenIQ
- Stuart Woolf – Chair, Western Growers; President and CEO of Woolf Farming & Processing
- Terry Stone – Global Biologicals Regulatory Policy Leader, Corteva Agriscience
We’ll be sharing details of further speakers over the coming weeks. With a number of international delegations planning to attend, this year’s 2024 Summit will bring growers, researchers, agritech companies and policy-makers together from around the world.
