PURPOSE: Plants are life– we depend on them for 80% of the food we eat and 98% of the oxygen we breathe; 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. International standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs) in trade help prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests across borders. Recently international travel and trade has been associated with the introduction and spread of plant pests. Invasive pest species are one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss and threaten the delicate web of life that sustains our planet. Pests and diseases have also been associated with rising temperatures which create new niches for pests to populate and spread. In response, the use of pesticides could increase, which harms pollinators, natural pest enemies and organisms crucial for a healthy environment.
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FORUM: "Plant health, safe trade and digital technology." International Day of Plant Health 2024. Each year, over 240 million containers move between countries, carrying goods including plant products, posing bio-security 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. 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. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #PlantDiseases, #biosecurity, #ephyto, #PlantProtection, #PlantHealth, #12May, #PlantHealthDay.
EVENTS: On 13 May 2024, from 14:00 to 15:20 CEST at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, a webinar will be held under the theme, “Plant health, safe trade and digital technology”, the International Day of Plant Health 2024 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. 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. Plant health is key to the sustainable development of agriculture required to feed a growing global population by 2050. 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 and the Head of the Department of International Logistics & Quality Service, Poste Italiane. Get the Agenda Programme and Register here!
PUBLICATION: Brush up your knowledge on the topic through a selection of FAO titles highlighting the importance of plant health, and guidance documents on how to Get ready to celebrate the IDPH; Read the 2023 IDPH Impact Report and get the Activity book – Healthy plants, healthy planet!
PODCASTS: Keeping plants healthy is essential for life on earth and all of us have a role to play. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: Whether you’re a government, city, private business, NGO, journalist, a civil society organization or individual, we can provide you with a range of multimedia content in several languages to share, and to support your International Plant Health Day activity. Explore the toolkit “Protecting plants, protecting life”, Get the communication materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
HOW TO GET INVOLVED!
PARTNERSHIPS
The United Nations designated May 12th as International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development. 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.
Raise awareness and take action to keep our plants healthy.
Promote environmentally friendly practices such as integrated pest management. 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.
Help protect the environment and biodiversity.
Prioritize plant health and protection, recognizing that it is fundamental to achieving the 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG2, Zero Hunger.
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 International Day of Plant Health is co-organized by the United Nations General Assembly, the Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention to combat Desertification (UNCCD).
With the participation of State Governments, Policy makers and legislators; Media professionals; The General public; Non-Government Organizations and cooperatives; Farmers; The transportation and trade sectors; Donors; Academics; Schoolchildren; The public sector.
The Day is a key legacy of the International Year of Plant Health 2020. For further information send an email to IDPH@fao.org.