BASF and Vivagro, an innovative French company focused on agroecological solutions, signed a distribution agreement for the product Essen’ciel for the Italian and Spanish market. Essen’ciel is a natural fungicide, insecticide and acaricide based on sweet orange essential oil. It is approved for organic uses, including vine grapes, vegetable crops, berries, ornamental crops, industrial crops and arboriculture. Especially for pip fruits such as apples, pears, and quinces, Essen’ciel represents an alternative biocontrol product in light of scarcity of insecticide solutions.

Essen’ciel will be distributed within the portfolio of BioSolutions by BASF in Spain and Italy. “Biological crop protection is an important step forward to further support sustainable agriculture,” said Marco Moorfeld, Vice President Market Management Europe at BASF Agricultural Solutions. “New partnerships are crucial to meet the growing demand for biologicals, driven by the need to reduce the impact of farming on the environment and benefit from R&D advances in biology and production. Our collaboration with Vivagro strengthens our biological portfolio for farmers.”

Essen’ciel is one of Vivagro’s core products. It is a contact curative treatment with a unique mode of action: it desiccates soft-bodied insects and the aerial organs of pathological fungi. Furthermore, it is a fundamental tool for integrated pest management (IPM), to complete spray programs as it takes into account waste management without neglecting efficiency. “We are proud of our biological innovations. Bringing these to the market with the support of BASF is an important milestone to further expand our business, and meet the expectations of farmers and agricultural industries”, explained Alain Petersen, Export Manager from Vivagro.  BASF and Vivagro foresee a growing market development and expect to further expand their partnership in the future.

Download the press release here.