Reflecting on ABIM 2024
As we approach the end of 2024, I have been reflecting on the progress I have made in the role as Head of Environment. ABIM 2024 was a significant conference for me personally and professionally. It marked the first professional conference I have attended since before the beginning of the UK COVID lockdown in February 2020, when I attended the Minor Use Coordination Facility meeting in Paris, France. Travelling to Basel for ABIM 2024 was an immense privilege, but also a big personal undertaking for me, leaving my wife at home with our young son for the longest time since he was born.
Adam using biocontrol to tend to his curry plant.
Professionally, ABIM 2024 was filled with opportunity for new connections and learnings, and I was grateful for access to such a thriving community of scientists, regulators and business-people. I learned some valuable lessons, but also gained some insight into the regulatory hurdles faced by the biopesticides industry, and how a company like Enviresearch Ltd. can apply its expertise to help surmount these hurdles. Seeing so many vibrant young businesses alongside established industry ‘household names’ gave me pause to consider how much this industry is booming. There is so much potential in biopesticide technology, for advancement of plant protection, but also for working in harmony with the environment alongside natural processes. I was also grateful for the personal connections I made while I was at the conference, the support I received from individuals who gave me practical and professional support when I was attending the conference on my own.
Having worked as a regulatory professional for 15 years, I have always held an ambition to become involved in this area. As a zoologist and horticulturalist by academic background, and a passionate environmentalist, integrating these technologies into our food production system seems like a natural progression for the industry. It feels like a significant achievement in my career to date to begin helping to deliver this service with the support of a talented and knowledgeable Environment Team here at Enviresearch Ltd. Their skills and knowledge are invaluable in delivering a regulatory service that is both insightful and tailored to the needs of our clients.
In 2025, our goals are to build our relationships with businesses in this booming area, apply our expertise to regulatory ‘hurdles’ faced by SMEs and start-ups beginning to navigate the complex and changing regulatory system, and in collaboration with these business to bring new and exciting plant protection technologies to the market.
I am eagerly anticipating what the industry brings in 2025, and looking forward to a future of sustainable food protection in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world!