Why Partnerships Are Becoming Essential in the Biologicals Market

As the biologicals industry continues its rapid global expansion, partnerships are increasingly emerging as one of the sector’s most important growth drivers. During a recent “Biological Expansions: How To Stay Competitive” webinar hosted by AgriBusiness Global, industry experts explored the evolving role of partnerships in helping biological companies scale innovation, access new markets, and remain competitive in a more crowded marketplace.

Panelists included Sebastian Bachem, CEO of Accumont, José Nolasco, Head of Global R&D Bionutrition at Rovensa Next, Kevin Price, Head of Corporate Affairs at Certis Belchim, and Ignacio Moyano Córdoba is Vice President of Business Development, LATAM, for DunhamTrimmer. While the speakers agreed partnerships are now fundamental to biological market growth, they also emphasized that successful collaborations require alignment, trust, technical support, and shared investment.

Different Companies, Different Goals

According to Moyano Córdoba, the biologicals market has created an environment where companies of all sizes are looking for strategic alliances — but often for different reasons.

“For larger multinational companies, many are looking to strengthen portfolio differentiation,” he explained. “They want to complement traditional chemistry with biological solutions, offer more integrated programs to growers, and stay competitive as agriculture evolves.”

Meanwhile, midsize biological companies are often searching for access to high-growth regions such as Brazil and broader Latin America, where navigating regulations, distribution, and grower adoption can be complex.

Local companies also play a critical role in the ecosystem. Moyano Córdoba noted that many regional businesses already possess strong customer relationships, regulatory experience, and distribution networks, making them attractive partners for international firms looking to enter new markets.

“Partnerships can accelerate market access, complement portfolios, and help both sides grow faster than they could alone,” he said.

Partnerships Fuel Innovation and Scale

Nolasco described partnerships as “one of the greatest growth motors” in the biologicals sector today.

For startups and smaller innovators, collaborations with larger companies can provide manufacturing capacity, regulatory expertise, and global commercial reach. At the same time, multinational companies gain access to faster innovation cycles and emerging technologies.

“The scale-up of the business is a great opportunity in a partnership,” Nolasco said.

He also emphasized that partnerships help distribute risk — an important factor in biologicals, where product performance can vary significantly depending on environmental conditions and field management practices.

“In biologicals, the risk is higher because performance has to be demonstrated every day in the field,” he explained.

That reality makes commercialization far more complex than simply securing product registration.

“After registration is when the party really starts,” Nolasco added.

Biologicals Require More Than Product Distribution

A recurring theme throughout the webinar was that biologicals cannot be treated like traditional crop protection products.

“The old model of shipping a product, leaving it with a distributor, and returning a year later — that does not work anymore,” Moyano Córdoba said.

Instead, panelists stressed that biologicals require extensive market development, technical positioning, demand creation, and grower education.

“Shipping product is easy. Building demand is the hard part,” Moyano Córdoba said.

Price agreed, explaining that the support structure around biologicals extends well beyond the manufacturer.

“We have to convince our distributors, who in turn have to convince the growers,” he said. “The support required extends right down to the end user.”

Because of that complexity, successful partnerships must be built on trust, transparency, and continuous communication.

“The pathway to the development of a biological product is not simple,” Price said. “It requires a relationship based on trust where communication is paramount.”

Alignment and Execution Are Critical

Despite the opportunities partnerships create, panelists cautioned that many collaborations fail because expectations are not aligned from the beginning.

“Aligning expectations is the mother of the battles,” Nolasco said, noting that companies often differ on priorities such as short-term sales goals versus long-term development strategies.

Cultural differences between startups and large corporations can also create friction.

“The agility of a startup versus the more structured behavior of large companies — this is black and white,” Nolasco explained.

He added that companies frequently underestimate the complexity of scaling biological products after registration, especially when technical stewardship and grower education are required.

Data ownership, intellectual property rights, and clearly defined decision-making responsibilities were also highlighted as essential components of successful agreements.

Start Small, Build Strategically

Bachem encouraged biological startups to resist the temptation to chase global expansion too quickly.

“A lot of startups talk about the global market and how many billions it is,” he said. “But it’s actually about getting your product into a local market.”

Rather than attempting to launch broadly, Bachem recommended focusing on specific crops, countries, and regions first to establish proof of concept and build trusted partnerships.

“Don’t try to swallow the elephant whole,” he said. “Start piece by piece.”

Bachem also highlighted the growing importance of enabling technologies, including digital agriculture tools that support precision application, pest identification, and biological stewardship.

As the biologicals market matures, the panelists agreed that partnerships will continue to shape the industry’s future. However, the companies that succeed will be those willing to invest not only in innovation, but also in long-term collaboration, technical execution, and grower trust.

To hear the complete discussion and gain additional perspectives from industry leaders, readers are encouraged to watch the full webinar from AgriBusiness Global.