PHERA

PHERA’s key objectives are twofold; first to demonstrate the cost-efficient production of three bio-based pheromones at scale; second, to contribute to increasing agricultural productivity through sustainable methods

• From an environmental perspective, using a pheromone-based approach to pest control has minimal impact compared to existing pesticides. The production method - using yeast fermentation - is also environmentally friendly. The process uses renewable raw materials, including glycerol.
• The PHERA technology will make pheromones an affordable form of pest control for row crops, which is not currently the case. This will help to increase food production to meet the demands of a growing population while at the same time considerably reducing the long-term impact on the environment.
• This will also create a new industrial sector, dedicated to the production of these new pest control approaches. In so doing, by 2027 PHERA will help establish a new agriculture technology industry for mating disruption products for row crop production worth more than €600 million and create some 300 new jobs.

By achieving its overall objectives, PHERA will have developed new insect pheromones for use in agriculture. These will be more affordable and accessible than existing products. It will make a significant environmental contribution by reducing, even eliminating, the usage of toxic chemical insecticides and diminishing the environmental footprint of pest control as a result. It will also make a relevant economic impact, by creating a new business sector and making the pheromone-based approach much affordable to farmers.

Additionally, PHERA will make contributions to specific BBI JU KPIs through:

• Establishing a new cross-sectoral interconnection in the bio-based economy, between the biotechnological manufacturing and agriculture sectors.
• Creating three new bio-based value chains; converting glycerine into pheromones using yeast fermentation, formulating these pheromones into mating disruption products and selling the products to growers to protect their plants from insects.
• Developing and demonstrating new plant protection products that meet market requirements, all of which will use biologically produced pheromones.

Affordable & competitive bio-based pest control is possible
05 October 2020
The PHERA coordinator, BioPhero, has enlarged the production of its first pheromone-based pest control product. The progress will make the environmentally-friendly bioproduct more affordable and competitive, allowing a significant reduction in the use of pesticides. Read more