International Day of Plant Health

  Wildfires threaten water security . Forests are vitally important for safeguarding water quality and freshwater access. Forested watersheds provide over 2/3 of the world’s drinking water, with 33 of the world’s 105 largest cities relying on forested areas for their water supplies alongside many smaller cities and rural regions.⁣ ⁣ Forests and trees increase infiltration and reduce rates of erosion , both of which prevent sedimentation and other pollutants from reaching rivers and lakes crucial for water supplies . After a wildfire there are fewer trees to intercept water runoff from storms, and soil becomes unstable and more prone to erosion. This means that when it rains, more sediment, ash and pollutants end up flowing into lakes, rivers and reservoirs. ⁣ After the 2018 Camp Fire in California, for example, post-fire rainstorms caused debris and toxic to enter nearby bodies of water, and some utilities had to stop using water from sources too close to the fire.⁣ ⁣

Everyone can contribute to plant health by staying connected and engaged with our posts, updates and initiatives. Amplify messages by posting and sharing content about the importance of protecting plant health . Check out the International Day of Plant Health Trello Board for communication materials you can post on your social media account and website. Tag us, too! – FAO and ippcnews .  

 Contact the media and call on them to spread the call for action and share plant health messages widely in print or online media . You can also try to initiate or take part in discussion panels, press conferences, media briefings and in radio or TV call-in or talk shows .   Organize a plant health media workshop where journalists have a chance to meet and make contact with plant protection officers, scientists, researchers, etc .

 Check out the IDPH Information site and register for the event. Invite your friends and colleagues, too!

 Let us know how you’re celebrating the  International Day of Plant Health . There are various ways to celebrate Plant Health. We encourage you to share details about your events or initiatives by sending us an email on the event details, photos, videos and links to your website and social media posts at idph@fao.org. We’d love to feature your events in the post-event Impact Report! See for example past celebrations around the world in the 2023 IDPH Impact Report and celebrations in 2022 .

• An adult Desert Locust can consume roughly its own weight, about 2 grams, in food every day. A 1 km2 -sized swarm of 40 million Desert Locust could eat the same amount of food in one day as about 35 000 people. • Plants make up 80% of the food we eat and produce 98% of the oxygen we breathe. • Plant pests and Plant diseases are responsible for the loss of up to 40%of global food crops, and for trade losses exceeding USD 220 billion in agricultural products annually . • FAO estimates that agricultural production must rise by about 60% by 2050 in order to feed a larger and generally richer population. • Climate change threatens to reduce not only the quantity of crops, lowering yields, but also the nutritious value. Rising temperatures also mean that more plant pests and diseases are appearing earlier and in places they were never seen before. • Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is one of the most ubiquitous and destructive crop pests in the world, feasting on more than 80 ...

  Governments, policy makers and legislators need to prioritize plant health and protection, recognizing that it is fundamental to achieving the 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG2, Zero Hunger. Policies and legislation need to address and prevent pest and disease outbreaks and promote sustainable pests and pesticides management, while strengthening monitoring and reporting, and facilitating safe trade. They should ensure compliance with international plant health standards, invest in plant-health innovations, research and capacity development and empower national and regional plant protection organizations.   The general public should be aware of the risks involved in bringing plants and plant products across borders that may harbor pests and diseases. We need to be careful when ordering plants and plant products through channels such as e-commerce with postal services that bypass regular phytosanitary controls. It is important to purchase from reputable companies that provide i...

 Governments, policy makers and legislators need to prioritize plant health and protection , recognizing that it is fundamental to achieving the 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG2, Zero Hunger . Policies and legislation need to address and prevent pest and disease outbreaks and promote sustainable pests and pesticides management , while strengthening monitoring and reporting , and facilitating safe trade. They should ensure compliance with international plant health standards , invest in plant-health innovations, research and capacity development and empower national and regional plant protection organizations .

 The general public should be aware of the risks involved in bringing plants and plant products across borders that may harbor pests and diseases. We need to be careful when ordering plants and plant products through channels such as e-commerce with postal services that bypass regular phytosanitary controls. It is important to purchase from reputable companies that provide international phytosanitary certification for safe trade of plants and plant products.

 Media professionals can help communicate plant health information and key messages , including in local languages, to the broadest possible audience.

 Schoolchildren can learn that plants can get “sick” , what this means for food security, biodiversity, the environment, and our economy, and how they can warn their family about the risks of “hitchhiking pests” that often travel with plants and plant products.

 Farmers can prevent the spread of pests by using only certified pest-free seeds and seedlings ; and regularly monitoring, controlling and reporting the occurrence of unusual pests on their farms. They should adopt environmentally friendly pest management practices – including those based on biological approaches that do not kill pollinators and use beneficial insects and organisms.

 Non-Government Organizations and cooperatives working directly with farmers can raise their awareness of best practices for preventing and managing pests ; and provide them with practical support in implementing these practices . They can coordinate actions among different plant health stakeholders especially at the local level .

Donors need to be regularly informed about opportunities for investing in new and existing plant health initiatives and technologies .

The private sector should promote environmentally friendly products and practices and invest in phytosanitary research and development.

 The transportation and trade sectors should implement international standards , comply with existing phytosanitary legislation, contribute to the International Plant ProtectionConvention (IPPC) standard setting process and be aware of innovative technologies such as electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhytos) .

 Both our health and the health of our planet depend on plants. Plants are the source of the oxygen we breathe, much of the food we eat, the fibers that make our clothes and natural building materials . Yet, up to 40% of food crops are lost due to plant pests and diseases every year . This is affecting food security and agriculture, the main source of income for vulnerable rural communities. Climate change and human activities are also affecting plant health , altering ecosystems and damaging biodiversity while creating new niches for pests to thrive. International travel and trade , which has tripled in volume in the last decade, is making pests and diseases appear in places they were never seen before. Keeping plants healthy is essential for life on earth and all of us have a role to play .  Join us for the global call to action this International Plant Health Day on 12 May to raise awareness plant health and to learn how protecting plant health can help end hunger, r...

On this International Day of Plant Health , learn about Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), an emerging technology providing spatially explicit, timely, and reliable data for assessing the health of neglected and underutilized crop species . Researchers presents UAVs and their contribution to crop productivity and smallholder farmers. Timely, accurate spatial information on the health of neglected and underutilised crop species (NUS) is critical for optimising their production and food and nutrition in developing countries. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with multispectral sensors have significantly advanced remote sensing, enabling the provision of near-real-time data for crop analysis at the plot level in small, fragmented croplands where NUS are often grown. The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature on the remote sensing (RS) of the spatial distribution and health of NUS, evaluating the progress, opportunities, challenges, and associated rese...

The keynotes address and speech by are the Director-General FAO, The Minister for Agriculture and Land Reclamation Arab Republic of Egypt; The Ambassador Permanent Representative of Canada to FAO; The Ambassador Permanent Representative of Kenya to Italy; The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); speakers are the Chairperson Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM); The USDA’s Deputy Director for Animal and Plant Health Inspection (USDAAPHIS); The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Republic of Uganda a nd the Head of the Department of International Logistics & Quality Service, Poste Italiane. Get the Agenda Programme and Register to participate to the International Day of Plant Health (IDPH 2024) - Technical Session !

Safe trade of crops and plant products ensures availability of diverse food sources Safe trade practices spread of plant pests that degrade biodiversity, ecosystems Safe trade practices ensure quality and integrity of traded plant products which leads to economic stability and growth.

Each year, over 240 million containers move between countries, carrying goods including plant products , posing biosecurity risks . In addition, about 80% of international trade consignments include wood packaging material, providing a pathway for pest transmission. As a result, damages from invasive pest species incur global economic losses of approximately USD 220 billion annually. Hybrid event to mark International Day of Plant Health 2024 . 13 May 2024, 14:00-15:20 CEST Sheik Zayed Center FAO headquarters Rome   Register here  - Webcast link . Programme .

  Protecting plant health across borders is essential by promoting global collaboration and international standards, such as the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) . Innovative solutions like electronic phytosanitary certification (ePhyto) streamline the process, making trade quicker and more secure.  The topics are: 1) E-commerce: Managing pest risks in the postal pathway . 2) Experiences of Digitizing official Inspection and Certification Systems to enhance SPS compliance for Horticulture exports in Uganda ; 3) Going paperless: Moving to digital phytosanitary certificates for safer trade ; 4) Sea containers as pathways for pests and IPPC’s work to prevent pest spread and 5) Questions and answers . Watch the hybrid event to mark the International Day of Plant Health 2024!

This Year, the International Day of Plant Health calls on everyone to raise awareness and take action to keep our plants healthy and ensure food safety and safe trade for sustainable economies and livelihoods .

  Healthy plants constitute the foundation for all life on Earth, as well as ecosystem functions, food security and nutrition. Plant health is key to the sustainable development of agriculture required to feed a growing global population by 2050 . As FAO has welcomed the decision to establish an annual International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) on 12 May , brush up your knowledge on the topic through a selection of FAO titles highlighting the importance of plant health , and get ready to celebrate the day! E-commerce: a guide to managing the pest risk posed by goods ordered online and distributed through postal and courier pathways This guide provides a foundation for developing national legislation, policies, and procedures to address the challenges posed by large numbers of parcels moving through the mail and courier pathways. It highlights best practices to establish effective phytosanitary systems to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests while facilitating safe e-c...

  Collaboration is key for the development of novel agricultural inputs to address global Plant Health challenges. We support and help agrochemical, biocontrol, biostimulant and biofertilizer developers so their products can reach the market to tackle current and future pest and pathogens .  The dedication to protect and promote plant health is deeply rooted withinthe values of scientists who are caring particularly for the environment we live in and hope to leave for future generations.   Through investments in plant security research and development ,we can test innovative solutions that not only protect plant health but also leave a minimal footprint on the environment . By embracing a spirit of collaboration and innovation in technologies, we can overcome the challenges facing global plant health .

Along with biotechnological breakthroughs, phenotyping technologies serve as boosting tools in the quest for optimized plant health . At SynTech, a cutting-edge phenotyping machine harnesses the power of technology to showcase a series of parameters vital to assessing plant health. From leaf morphology to biochemical markers indicative of stress responses, it offers a view into valuable insights of the physiological state of plants . By meticulously scrutinizing plant phenotypes , researchers can discern subtle variations in crop immunity and development and identify potential targets for genetic manipulation or breeding efforts .

  Biotechnology stands at the forefront of agricultural innovation, with a profound focus on improving plant immunity and defense mechanisms , as well as nutrition efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance and crop quality traits. In an era where agricultural sustainability is paramount, leveraging technology to strengthen plant resilience against pests, pathogens and adverse environmental conditions is vital . Through biotechnological advancements, researchers delve deep into the intricate molecular pathways of plant immunity . In this sense, biotechnological innovations are anticipating plant protection before their health can deteriorate.

It's time to   recognize that healthy plants are not just essential for food security but also for environmental sustainability and economic development . Plants provide the foundation for life. Yet, their survival faces mounting threats, with up to 40% of food crops lost annually to pests and diseases (FAO, 2024). Let's develop fresh, ingenious solutions to tackle the intricate challenges facing global agriculture and ecosystems .

As we mark the third commemoration of this significant day, we’re reminded of the indispensable role plant health plays in upholding life on our vibrant planet. This year, we focus on plant health, secure trade, and digital technology, the subject laid down by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). This International Day of Plant Health 2024 theme is a call to collaborate and innovate in safeguarding the health of plants across border s.

  Our world is intricately interconnected, with plant products travelling all around the globe to fulfil different agricultural needs. As such, a constant relevant threat must be considered: biosecurity risks. Invasive pests and pathogens often hitch rides, destroying plant systems and damaging not only agricultural fields but natural ecosystems beyond. The economic toll of these damages amounts to a staggering USD 220 billion globally each yea r, highlighting the urgent need for concerted action on a global scale (FAO, 2024).