Programme & Events

1. From Risk Assessment to Governance of Exotic BCAs

Focus: Integrating benefit–risk analysis, policy, and international coordination for responsible introductions.
Covers: Predictive modelling and probabilistic risk assessment, socio-economic evaluation, IOBC/FAO/EPPO frameworks, Nagoya Protocol compliance, transboundary governance.
Synopsis: This session links the scientific foundations of risk assessment with regulatory and policy dimensions of EBCA governance. It highlights tools and frameworks that ensure transparent, harmonized, and evidence-based decision-making for safe global use of exotic agents.

2. Rapid and Responsible Deployment of EBCAs

Focus: Managing urgency, ethics, and stakeholder perspectives in responses to emerging threats.
Covers: Emergency authorizations, rapid risk–benefit evaluations, precautionary principles, communication and engagement strategies, ethical frameworks.
Synopsis: Some invasive pests require immediate intervention. This session explores structured, ethical approaches to deploy EBCAs under urgent conditions.

3. Ecological Interactions and Long-Term Dynamics of EBCAs

Focus: Understanding and managing ecological consequences over time and under global change.
Covers: Host range and non-target interactions, competition with native species, climate and land-use effects, establishment potential, adaptive monitoring and management.
Synopsis: Exotic BCAs interact dynamically with native ecosystems, and these relationships evolve under changing climates and landscapes. This session integrates short- and long-term ecological perspectives to ensure sustained effectiveness and safety of EBCAs.

4. Innovative Tools and Approaches for EBCA Safety and Specificity

Focus: Leveraging technology to enhance effectiveness and minimize non-target impacts.
Covers: Genomics-informed strain selection, behavioral and ecological screening, digital decision-support systems, AI and ecological modelling, climate-smart strategies.
Synopsis: Cutting-edge tools are transforming biological control research. This session showcases innovative methods that improve the precision, predictability, and safety of exotic agents, supporting science-driven risk reduction and performance optimization.

5. Open Session: Emerging Issues and Cross-Cutting Perspectives in Biological Control

Focus: Flexible session for novel, interdisciplinary, or policy-relevant contributions.

Covers: New research directions, unconventional case studies, methodological advances, cross-regional collaborations.

Synopsis: This open session provides space for innovative or cross-cutting topics not covered elsewhere, ensuring that emerging ideas and research frontiers are represented and discussed at BREBCA 2026.