The European project demonstrates how the development of green technologies can transform pest control in European agriculture, reducing health and environmental risks.
Brussels, 15 April 2025. Coinciding with World Creativity and Innovation Week (15–21 April), the European project LIFE NextFUMIGREEN stands out as an example of how science, technology, and creative innovation can offer effective responses to the major environmental and agricultural challenges of the 21st century.
Coordinated by FumiHogar, with over half a century of experience in fumigant products, and in partnership with B&B Asesores, Comercial Química Massó, BrioAgro Tech, and the Finnova Foundation, the project aims to validate a natural fumigant biopesticide to combat whitefly and botrytis in greenhouse horticultural crops. The product is based on natural substances such as pyrethrum, which is recognized under European legislation as an active substance in the formulation of plant protection products.
With a total budget of €2,758,921.01, co-financed at 60% by the LIFE Programme of the European Union, the project aligns with the goals of the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the Biodiversity Strategy, all of which promote a 50% reduction in the use of chemical and hazardous pesticides by 2030.
FumiHogar’s experience in previous projects such as UMIGREEN (CDTI CERVERA), which already demonstrated the effectiveness of these substances against pests in intensive crops, provides a strong foundation for LIFE NextFUMIGREEN. Thanks to collaborations with accredited laboratories such as RENOLAB and DEFITRACES, the project is conducting tests on efficacy, phytotoxicity, residues, ecotoxicity, and effects on beneficial fauna—key aspects for registration as a plant protection product with the EU Ministry of Agriculture.
Additionally, the use of digital tools recognized by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), such as ConsExpo, allows the modelling of exposure scenarios under critical conditions, ensuring operator safety and reducing the environmental footprint of the treatment.
The inclusion of specialised laboratories following good practices enables the consortium to guarantee the validity and traceability of all scientific data generated, strengthening the project’s credibility at the European level. At the same time, it fosters the professionalisation of the agricultural sector in the use of biopesticides, contributing to a safer and more resilient food production system in the face of climate change.
During World Creativity and Innovation Week, LIFE NextFUMIGREEN reminds us that ecological transformation is also cultivated, studied, and innovated… from the greenhouse.