The Spanish agrochemical company Altinco, specialised in natural crop protection solutions, has just launched a zero-residue pesticide with EU registration suitable for organic farming. Altinco Grinward® brings a significant innovation to the agrochemical market: it is the first insecticide formulated with only 20% paraffin oil, ensuring maximum efficacy with minimal dosage and maintaining a fully sustainable profile. It acts by contact against key pests such as aphids (in stone and pome fruit, citrus, strawberries and berries), whiteflies (in vegetable crops) and psyllids (in pears).
Montserrat Rossell, co-founder and CEO of the company, highlights one of the insecticide’s key advantages: “By acting through contact, it does not generate resistance in pests and guarantees a powerful effect.” She adds: “Grinward’s approach isn’t about poisoning insects—which can lead to resistance—but rather creating a film that covers them and immobilises them, ultimately suffocating them.” It also creates a physical barrier on the plant surface, preventing egg laying and the spread of new larvae.
Altinco Grinward®
“The development and registration of Grinward is the most important step Altinco has taken in regulatory terms, demonstrating financial strength and a firm long-term commercial commitment,” explains Joan Minguella, General Manager at Altinco.
The launch follows eight years of work, including over 150 field trials in Spain and other countries to prove its efficacy against key pests—some of the most common and problematic today. Altinco Grinward® is now available in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece.
In Spain, the areas with the highest demand for Altinco products are Murcia, Lleida, Huelva and Almería, in that order. Exports have also seen steady year-on-year growth and currently account for 42% of total turnover. Europe leads the way, with Romania, Greece and Portugal as the main markets, generating €3.3 million in revenue. Africa and the Americas follow. The company projects a 45% increase in exports for 2025, reaching €5 million.
Innovation in agrochemicals
Currently, most paraffin oil-based insecticides contain between 40% and 80% of the active substance. In contrast, Altinco Grinward® uses only 20%, delivering high efficacy while maintaining environmental balance. It also requires just 2 litres per hectare, compared to 8 to 15 litres needed with conventional paraffin oil products.
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As a result, less product is applied, making it more environmentally friendly and easier to handle for farmers. It also reduces the need for plastic containers for storage and transport. Application costs per hectare are also significantly lower, while providing greater efficacy than similar products.
