Cirencester agri tech business secures EU approval for its organic farming products

Eden Research plc, The company based at Poulton near Cirencester, which develops sustainable products for crop protection, animal health and consumer products around the world, has confirmed that  three of its EU-registered active ingredients, geraniol, eugenol and thymol, have all been approved for use in organic farming following inclusion in the EU's Organic Production Regulation.

Organic farming covered 12.6 million hectares of agricultural land in the EU Member States in 2017, equivalent to seven per cent of the total used agricultural area. Between 2012-2017, land assigned for organic growing within these Member States increased by 25 per cent. In Italy and Spain, the conversion rates from conventional to organic agriculture grew by more than 60 per cent with the share of organic production totalling 15.2 per cent and 13.9 per cent respectively.

Eden's products will now be available to organic growers with the levels of success often associated with conventional chemical pesticides, providing the company's growers with another alternative and sustainable solution. Eden says it is the only UK listed company focused on biopesticides for sustainable agriculture. It invests in research and development concentrating on protecting high-value crops, improving crop yields and marketability.

Sean Smith, CEO of Eden Research, said: "We are very excited by this approval for EU organic farming as this opens up a new commercial opportunity for Eden which is relevant to all of the products that we have developed and continue to develop using our three EU registered active ingredients.

"It is clear that there is growing demand from consumers within the EU for organic products and this is matched by rapidly growing production. Consequently, areas assigned by EU Member States for organic agriculture have grown by 70 per cent in the last ten years^* with organic retail sales reaching €34bn in 2017."