Nowadays, legal regulations and social environmental concerns are converging towards
the promotion of more sustainable agriculture based on organic compounds and soil
preservation. These trends are fuelling the growth of the biofertilizers, which are
beneficial preparations containing microorganisms able to enhance a plant’s ability
to uptake essential nutrients. Their production and commercialization encompass a
multitude of critical steps deeply reviewed in this manuscript through an exhaustive
overview of the key stages, such as microorganism selection, new environmental sources,
upscaling to field trials, encapsulation, current application systems and regulatory
considerations. However, although the economical expectations are promising, several
methodological, environmental, and legal concerns are undermining their advancement.
The redefinition of international legal frameworks, their enhancement based on trending
technologies, and the fostering of multidisciplinary collaboration across sectors
are key players to promote biofertilizers as eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives
to chemical fertilizers.
