The United Nations has proclaimed 2020 the International Year of Plant Health (IPHP).
FAO notes that this year will be a unique opportunity to raise global awareness of how plant health contributes to ending hunger, reducing poverty, protecting the environment and promoting economic development.
In a statement, the organization explains: “Plants are the source of air that we breathe and most of the food we consume, but we often don’t even think about the need to take care of their health. This can be devastating. FAO estimates that up to 40% of food crops die each year from pests and plant diseases. They deprive millions of people of food and cause serious damage to agriculture, the main source of income for poor rural communities. ”
FAO believes that plant health is in ever greater danger. Climate change and human activities are changing ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and creating new niches in which pests breed. At the same time, international travel and trade have tripled in volume over the past decades and allow pests and diseases to spread rapidly around the world, causing enormous damage to local plants and the environment.
Protecting plants from pests and diseases from an economic point of view is much more effective than eliminating the consequences of full-scale emergencies related to plant health. It is often impossible to eradicate pests and plant diseases after they have settled, and it takes a lot of time and money to fight them. To avoid the devastating effects of pests and diseases on agriculture, livelihoods and food security, prevention is the main thing, and it depends on many of us.
Ecosystem approach
The FAO believes that humanity can both prevent the emergence of pests and plant diseases, and fight them in environmentally friendly ways - for example, through integrated plant protection. This ecosystem approach combines various control strategies and methods to grow healthy plants with minimal pesticide use. The rejection of toxic substances in pest control not only protects the natural environment, but also protects pollinators, natural enemies of pests, beneficial organisms, as well as people and animals that depend on plants.
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What are the main objectives of the International Year of Plant Health?
FAO and its International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) will take the lead in the success of the International Year and in promoting plant health measures beyond 2020.
The International Year will be dedicated to prevention and protection, as well as what each of us can do to protect plants and promote their health.
Among the main tasks of the international year are raising awareness of the importance of plant health for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; drawing attention to the impact of plants on food security and ecosystem functions, as well as sharing best practices in maintaining plant health and preserving the environment.
By preventing pests from spreading and transporting to new areas, governments, farmers, and other food chain actors, such as the private sector, can save billions of dollars and make quality food affordable.
Protecting plants and plant products from pests and diseases promotes trade and provides market access, especially for developing countries. For this, it is necessary to strengthen compliance with agreed international phytosanitary norms and standards.
In pest and disease control, farmers should implement and policy makers promote the implementation of environmentally friendly practices such as integrated plant protection.
Source: https://east-fruit.com/