The CABI BioProtection Portal has been awarded the Gold Stevie Award for Sustainability Initiative of the Year (Europe) at the 22nd International Business Awards (IBAs). Selected from more than 3,800 nominations across 78 countries, the Portal was praised by judges as “an excellent tool empowering farmers globally with safe, sustainable pest solutions.” The recognition places it among the world’s most innovative sustainability initiatives and underscores the growing importance of climate-smart agriculture on the global stage.
Launched in 2020, the BioProtection Portal is the world’s largest free online resource for biological pest management. It gives farmers, advisors, and policymakers access to country-specific information on registered biocontrol and biopesticide products, ranging from beneficial insects and fungi to bacteria and plant-based extracts that target pests without leaving toxic residues. The platform is designed to integrate with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems, combining biological, cultural, and chemical approaches to control pests in a safe and sustainable way. It is currently available in more than 50 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe and the portal continues to expand as demand for alternatives to chemical pesticides grows.
The tool has already had significant real-world impact; In Uganda, smallholder maize and bean farmers using biological products sourced through the Portal reported yield increases of up to 20 percent while cutting back on chemical pesticide use, thereby improving both household income and food safety. In Kenya, farmers facing the devastating fall armyworm pest have been able to adopt biopesticides listed on the Portal, reducing chemical sprays by 30 to 40 percent and protecting vital pollinators in the process.
In India, cotton and rice farmers have used the Portal to identify biopesticides that meet strict export standards on pesticide residues, ensuring continued access to high-value international markets. Each year, more than 10,000 users, among them extension officers, farmer cooperatives, and NGOs, turn to the Portal, magnifying its reach and ensuring knowledge flows directly to millions of smallholders.
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For Africa, this recognition carries particular weight. Agriculture employs more than 60 percent of the population and contributes around 23 percent of the continent’s GDP. However, the sector remains highly vulnerable to pests, diseases, and climate shocks, with crop losses estimated at USD 65 billion annually. Outbreaks like the desert locust invasion of 2020 and the ongoing spread of fall armyworm reveal how fragile food systems can be. By offering locally relevant, science-based alternatives to synthetic pesticides, the BioProtection Portal provides a lifeline for farmers, helping them reduce costs, comply with residue standards that open up export opportunities, safeguard ecosystems, and build resilience to climate change.
Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann, CABI’s Executive Director of Operations, emphasized that the Gold Stevie Award goes beyond prestige, positioning the Portal as a practical force for global sustainability. “Winning this Gold Stevie Award significantly raises the profile of the CABI BioProtection Portal as a key player in addressing global sustainability challenges,” he said. “Competing against initiatives across industries in Europe strengthens our position in building future partnerships.”
The Stevie Awards, often described as the “Oscars of the business world,” recognize outstanding achievements in industries ranging from technology and finance to non-profit work. For the Portal to emerge as a winner in such a diverse competition reflects both the urgency of transforming agriculture and the growing momentum behind nature-positive solutions. The winners were determined by the average scores of more than 250 executives worldwide, who participated in the judging process from May to July 2025.
Looking ahead, the challenge is scaling up. Policymakers can use the Portal to harmonize national IPM policies, farmer cooperatives can guide their members into sustainable value chains, and donors can integrate the tool into climate finance programs. Development organizations are already exploring ways to embed it into digital advisory services and climate adaptation projects, ensuring that farmers at the grassroots level benefit from its knowledge base.
At its core, the Portal champions bioprotection ~ an approach that uses living organisms and natural substances to control pests and diseases. Unlike synthetic pesticides, which can lead to resistance, environmental harm, and toxic residues in food, bioprotection is targeted, safe, and sustainable. It protects biodiversity, reduces soil and water pollution, and supports food systems that are both resilient and competitive in global markets.
As the world confronts the twin challenges of feeding a growing population and combating climate change, tools like the BioProtection Portal offer a glimpse of the future: farming that is productive, profitable, and aligned with the health of people and the planet.
