Last month, the AgriThority® team attended the Salinas Biological Summit, to meet with growers, innovators and researchers to answer the question, “What will it actually take to move biologicals from promising technology to standard practice on working farms?”
Throughout the summit, three trends emerged.
1. The Industry’s Biggest Barrier Isn’t Access, It’s Trust
Biological companies have never had more novel innovations, but growers remain skeptical about performance, though trust is starting to increase. Pam Marrone, founder and chair of the Invasive Species Corp., put it plainly: “Lack of trust in product performance — that is number one.” Don Cameron of Terranova Ranch put that skepticism in concrete terms, describing a 25-acre trial of a root stimulant in processing tomatoes where treated plants looked smaller than untreated ones. He said the jury is still out.
The UPSHOT: An optimum level of data is required to understand how a biologic will respond in varying environments. This data must then be converted into best management practices (BMPs) that fit within generally accepted production systems across environments. And in many cases the actual application BMP will deliver outcomes that will require adjusting subsequent BMPs of the crop production system in order to exploit benefits and advantages of product use. This delivers a high level of success and, thus, will earn the trust of farmer-customers.
2. Regulators Are Moving Faster, but Speed Alone Won’t Close the Gap
California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation used the Summit to make a notable announcement: after replacing 20 paper-based legacy systems with its new electronic CalPest platform, the agency is now processing new products roughly twice as fast and new active ingredients about four times as fast, with the most complex registration category cut from three to four years down to about one, backed by roughly 100 new positions funded through AB 2113. That’s real progress, but it solves an approval/timeline problem, not a performance/credibility one. A faster pipeline and grower trust are two different jobs and solving one doesn’t necessarily solve the other.
The UPSHOT: Farmer trust is earned by the marketer through proving performance that can be anticipated through an optimum number of trials. The resulting BMP must fit within generally accepted crop production systems. Overall farmer trust is aided by regulatory approval.
3. Consumers Aren’t Asking for Biologicals, They’re Asking for What Biologicals Deliver
2026 has been a pivotal year for nutrient density as a mainstream consumer priority, and GLP-1 medications are accelerating it. As GLP-1 use expands well beyond diabetes care, people are eating less, and researchers at IFT FIRST 2026 and in Glanbia’s 2026 nutrition trend research both find smaller portions are driving demand for food that delivers more nutrition. No consumer is asking whether their produce was grown with a microbial inoculant, but they are asking for the outcome: more nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, and grains, which is exactly what many biological products are already built to deliver through improved nutrient uptake, stronger root systems, and better stress tolerance.
The UPSHOT: Consumers won’t demand biologicals; they’ll keep demanding the outcomes biologicals enable, which means the consumer-facing messaging for successful products will be defined by “more nutrient-dense food,” instead of “grown with a biostimulant.”
The Common Thread
The thread connecting all three: the biological sector’s next phase of growth depends less on new discoveries and more on proof. When products perform for growers, regulatory speed translates into real confidence, and outcomes (not jargon) win over consumers; new biological innovations can thrive in the global marketplace.
We help Research entities move new concepts through the complexities of agricultural Development toward successful, mainstream market entry around the world for greater food security and sustainability. Forward-thinking agriculture experts with deep scientific and strategic business experience are the core of AgriThority®. We strive to accelerate innovation adoption by food, fiber, feed and fuel producers around the world. Reach out today for support in moving your innovation to commercialization.
