McFARLAND, Wis. – The Biopesticide Industry Alliance (BPIA), a non-profit organization committed to communicating the benefits of biopesticides as effective pest management products, is pleased to announce the appointment of Bill Stoneman as its new Executive Director. The announcement comes on the heels of BPIA's annual spring meeting, where important new developments in the organization's strategic direction were finalized.

Originally with Minnesota Cooperative Extension and currently serving the biopesticide and organic industries through regulatory and product development consultation, Stoneman joins BPIA with more than 30 years of experience in agriculture and more than 15 years experience with biological control of crop pests. With the growth of the biopesticide industry outpacing that of traditional pesticides, Stoneman enters BPIA with clear objectives to ensure both the organization and the category continue moving rapidly forward.

"Recruitment of new member companies will remain high on our priority list," Stoneman says. "Biopesticide companies – many of them small – all face the same kinds of challenges: Navigating the regulatory process effectively and finding ways to educate growers and consultants on the benefits and proper use of these important products. The more companies that participate and collaborate to achieve these common goals, the greater BPIA's impact and the greater our chances for success."

Stoneman will be working closely with BPIA's Board of Directors, who outlined a Phase II strategic direction for the organization at its spring meeting last month in Washington D.C. Established in 2000, the first phase of BPIA's activities centered largely around developing its member base and a strong working relationship with the US regulatory community. With marked success in those areas, BPIA will now broaden its activities to include more end user-driven efforts.

The Board has identified three core initiatives to guide its activities in the short- to mid-term:

1) Efficacy Standards –  Strongly considering the establishment of a Certification Program, administered by a third party, that would certify the effectiveness of EPA-registered biopesticides. Survey data suggests that a certification program would be desirable and would increase confidence in biopesticide performance.

2) Educational Efforts – An increased focus on the development of science-based, integrated media elements designed to educate growers, researchers, consultants, distributors, and consumers on the benefits of biopesticides.

3) Regulatory – Continuing the successes that BPIA has realized in this area, including participation with US EPA in the Pesticide Registration Implementation Renewal Act (PRIA 2) Working Group.