Following a series of lawsuits against its widespread herbicide Roundup, Bayer is moving forward with a fresh partnership with the pesticide corporation AlphaBio Control and distribution rights for its "innovative" new biological pest control.

Under the terms of the corporations' agreement, AlphaBio Control grants Bayer a worldwide exclusive right, with the exception of France, to commercialize the pesticide for agriculture and non-agriculture uses.

Bayer comments that Flipper will become an essential part of its tailored solutions to combine seeds and traits, and chemical and biological crop protection products with digital services.

These efforts will benefit growers, the food chain and society, it adds.

“Bayer is committed to reducing agriculture’s ecological footprint through innovation, also including biological and low-residue solutions such as Flipper,” says Liam Condon, president of the Crop Science Division.

Meanwhile, Iain Fleming, AlphaBio’s chief executive, notes: “We are immensely proud of this opportunity to be working with such a forward-thinking company as Bayer.

"We have become more and more convinced of the fundamental agricultural need for this product and could not hope for a better partner to help promote and deliver Flipper to growers across each of the relevant regions."

About Flipper

Flipper is a bioinsecticide-acaricide formulation. It is based on an active substance entirely obtained from the by-product of extra-virgin olive oil production, Bayer explains.

Elaborating, it says the pesticide combats pests by disrupting their cell functionality and interfering with their feeding activity.

Flipper contains naturally occurring, long-chain carboxylic acids. And these are part of the normal daily diet of mammals, birds and invertebrates.

What's more, it is safe for users, selective for crops, pollinators and beneficial arthropods, emphasizes Bayer.

It adds that the pesticide is exempt from Maximum Residue Legislation (MRL) requirements and import tolerances, set by the EU.

Additionally, it is already registered as a crop protection product in many EU countries.

Efforts are also underway for customers to be able to use it across a very broad crop in and beyond Europe.

“Bayer is proud to receive global rights for Flipper from our partner AlphaBio so that we can help growers as they contribute to global food security,” comments Hartmut van Lengerich, global head of Crop Protection Asset Management at Bayer.

Van Lengerich explains further. “Growers battle sucking insect pests such as aphids, whiteflies, and thrips each and every season.

"Bayer is glad to provide growers across the globe with a new tool to safeguard crops sustainably.”

Innovation will cut the ecological footprint of Bayer’s agricultural portfolio, the company points out.

Bayer says this new solution will reduce its environmental impact by 30% by 2030.

The company aims to achieve this by developing new technologies, scaling down crop protection volumes, and enabling more precise application.

As a result, it says this will help with three goals. The first is to restore and retain biodiversity, another is to combat climate change, and a final aim is to make the most efficient use of natural resources.