Pre-release risk assessment for classical biological control of harmful alien species

by Francesco Binazzi, Giuseppino Sabbatini Peverieri and Pio Federico Roversi - Research Center for Agrobiology and Pedology, Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria

DOI 10.12910/EAI2016-038

The article highlights the importance of a careful risk assessment of deliberate introduction of species of insects, useful to the biological control of harmful alien species

Classical biological control is an interesting field of pest control, aimed at reducing the use of pesticides not only in agriculture, but also in forestry and, more generally, in all natural ecosystems. In the context of food production, this leads to a more environmentally friendly approach with the purpose of producing healthier products, starting from human food first. Moreover, this technique is also an economically sound solution for long-term pest management strategies. …