Primal Group is thrilled to have attended Neem Wave’s Exhibition’s Global Neem Trade Fair 2016, a conference bringing together the world’s foremost experts in the heart of India to discuss the United Nations’ Tree of the 21st Century.
Over three days of technical sessions we strengthened our understanding of the latest innovations in neem research in discussions that focused on the tree’s applications in global health, agriculture and environmental protection. From an overview of the most recent clinical studies into neem’s effectiveness in cancer prevention, to its use in the treatment of severe skin conditions and the incredible impact it will have in organic agriculture, prospects for commercialization in a variety of industries worldwide are at all time high.
A major theme throughout the conference was neem’s applications in organic agriculture, specifically by fulfilling the requirements of an entirely natural and effective pesticide in crop protection. Dr R.C. Saxena, Chairman of the Neem Foundation, Dr G.V. Ramangneyulu, Director of the Center of Sustainable Agriculture in Hyderabad and Dr. A.C. Coloma, Plant Protection Scientist for the Spanish National Research Council, all focused their technical sessions on neem and how one of its most powerful organic compounds azadirachtin can be isolated and utilized as an effective agent in crop protection.
The agricultural industry has traditionally relied on synthetic pesticides for crop protection. While these synthetic chemical mixtures can aid farmers by preventing crop losses caused by pests, the negative effects they have on human health can be catastrophic. 98% of pesticides sprayed end up on a different destination to that intended, significantly contaminating plant life, animals, insects and water around the affected areas. There are up to 3 million case of serious pesticide poisoning documents each year around the world, responsible for 250,000 deaths. The World Health Organization has also stated that acute pesticide poisoning is significantly under reported in developing nations, with as many as 25 million case left unreported.
At a utilitarian level, neem offers a cost effective and nontoxic alternative to synthetic pesticides. Rather than acting as a poison that kills the pest, the azadirachtin found in neem is taken up by insects much like a natural hormone and acts on them by introducing antifeedant, repellent and growth inhibiting behaviour. Neem-based pesticides have multiple modes of action against insects and therefore rarely induce resistance. They are also entirely biodegradable, leaving no residue on the land. The degradation of Azadirachtin occurs due to the effects of UV light, temperature, pH and microbial activity, and therefore will not lead to an accumulation. According to the US National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), neem-based pesticides are practically non-toxic to birds, mammals, plants and pollinator. Several governments across Europe and Africa have therefore been supporting neem projects to help strengthen a healthier and organic farming system, while commercially there has been a significant influx of neem pesticides in the market over the past decade.
The global neem extract market (a significant amount of which is utilized for organic pest management) is currently estimated at $569 million and is expected to reach $1.3 billion by 2022 at a compound annual growth rate of 16.1%.
The technical sessions at the conference that focused on neem’s application in crop protection arrived at the same conclusion – neem’s ability as a pesticide will have a long-term positive impact on farmers and their farmland, whether or not they cultivate crops organically. Other speakers at the conference focused on neem’s benefits to skincare, health and environmental protection, which we will be covering in more detail over the coming weeks.