Biotechnology, Agri-Inputs and Biosecurity: Why the Future of Farming Needs a Wider Conversation in Sofia

Agriculture is undergoing a quiet transformation. Genomic tools, precision biological solutions, and new generations of crop protection and plant nutrition products are changing what is possible in the field and along the whole food chain. At the same time, the same advances raise questions that the sector is only beginning to ask. Who controls the genetic resources and seeds we depend on? How do we manage biosecurity when biological agents and genomic technologies can be used for more than one purpose? And how do we keep innovation moving without losing sight of safety, trust, and long-term resilience?

These questions sit at the heart of the Safe-Agri Workshop: Biotechnology, Agri-Inputs and Biosecurity, organized by Agriventures together with UPL Bulgaria and TraceGround in Sofia.

Part of a larger effort

The workshop is part of Safe-Agri, an initiative that aims to develop a practical tool for assessing and managing innovation in the agri-food sector through the ORRI framework. The idea is simple: responsible innovation should not be a slogan attached at the end of a project. It should be built into how new technologies are designed, tested, and brought to farmers and consumers. Bringing together people from research, industry, startups, institutions, and farming is the best way to test that idea against real experience.

What the day looks like

The programme opens with short expert presentations. Eleonora Markova of UPL Corp will speak about innovation in agri-inputs and responsible biotechnology solutions. Dilyana Kutsarova will look at how innovation and biotechnology are developing in agriculture. TraceGround will present its approach to traceability and farm management systems, a decentralized platform that follows the origin and quality of food from planting to the table, so that a single QR code can tell the full story of a product.

Topics across the sessions include the role of genomic tools and innovative crop protection, biological solutions and plant nutrition, dual-use risks, sovereignty over genetic resources and seeds, and traceability of soil health, plant health, and food. Underneath all of them runs one theme: finding the balance between innovation, safety, and responsible research, in light of current and upcoming legislation.

From discussion to scenarios

The second part is a hands-on workshop. Participants will work through three scenarios set in 2050: the arrival of new biotechnologies in the supply chain, strategic dependence on seeds and genetic resources, and biosecurity management across the value chain. Working in mixed groups, they will identify risks, opportunities, and recommendations for the responsible governance of future innovation. The results will feed directly into the Safe-Agri toolkit.

Who should join

The event is designed for researchers, universities, startups, companies in agri-inputs and crop protection, farmers, representatives of institutions, investors, and anyone interested in where biotechnology and food are heading. Registration opens at 16:00, the programme runs until 21:00, and the evening continues with informal networking with one of the best views in Sofia.

Places are limited and registration is required: https://luma.com/d02un2oa

Check out our guides for funding opportunities

https://projects.agriventures.co/resources

Agriventures Connect 3.0 is coming on 20th of April 2027 in Sofia, Bulgaria

https://connect.agriventures.co/

The role of Agriventures in supporting agrifood innovation

As the agritech startup ecosystem grows across Europe, initiatives such as Agriventures are helping connect entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and policymakers working in agriculture and food innovation.

Agriventures focuses on supporting agrifood startups, biotechnology innovation, and access to European funding for agriculture, while also helping entrepreneurs navigate the complex landscape of startup financing, venture capital, and research commercialization.

By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems.

Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.