Regulatory framework for the registration of biopesticides

Review chapter on the status of biopesticide regulation and registration internationally and in Colombia. It analyzes requirements for the assessment, registration and commercialization of biopesticides and compares regulatory experiences in the United States, the European Union, Asia and Colombia. For Colombia, it describes the regulatory evolution from Resolutions 3079 of 1995 and 375 of 2004 to Resolution 698 of 2011, which establishes requirements for producers, importers and the registration of agricultural bioinputs. The chapter reports approximately 245 biopesticides registered in Colombia as of October 2017, including 135 microbial agents, 61 biological inoculants, 28 plant extracts and 21 biochemical products. It identifies the harmonization of registration requirements and procedures, regulatory costs and approval times, institutional capacity and the adaptation of regulations to new products and scientific and technological advances as major challenges.