FAO launches 2020 as the UN’s International Year of Plant Health

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched the United Nations’ International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) for 2020, which aims to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development.

Plants make up 80 percent of the food we eat and produce 98 percent of the oxygen we breathe. Yet, they are under constant and increasing threat from pests and diseases.

Every year, up to 40 percent of global food crops are lost to plant pests and diseases. This leads to annual agricultural trade losses of over $220 billion, leaves millions of people facing hunger, and severely damages agriculture – the primary income source for poor rural communities.

This is why policies and actions to promote plant health are fundamental for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Plants provide the core basis for life on Earth and they are the single most important pillar of human nutrition. But healthy plants are not something that we can take for granted,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu who launched the Year on the sidelines of the UN agency’s Council meeting.

Climate change and human activities are altering ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and creating conditions where pests can thrive. At the same time, international travel and trade has tripled in volume in the last decade and can quickly spread pests and diseases around the world causing great damage to native plants and the environment.

“As with human or animal health, prevention in plant health is better than cure,” stressed the FAO chief.

Protecting plants from pests and diseases is far more cost-effective than dealing with full-blown plant health emergencies. Plant pests and diseases are often impossible to eradicate once they have established themselves and managing them is time-consuming and expensive.

Qu Dongyu also urged for prompt action, pointing out that much still needs to be done to ensure plant health.

“On this International Year and throughout this Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, let us dedicate the necessary resources and increase our commitment to plant health. Let us act for people and planet,” said António Guterres, UN Secretary-General in a message read out at the event.

What will the International Year of Plant Health do?

FAO and its International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) will lead activities to make the Year a success as well as promote plant health beyond 2020.

The Year will emphasize prevention and protection, and the role everyone can play to ensure and promote plant health.

The key objectives of the Year are: raising awareness of the importance of healthy plants for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; highlighting the impact of plant health on food security and ecosystem functions; and sharing best practices on how to keep plants healthy while protecting the environment.

Read and download the Communications Guide.

Original source: FAO
Published on 02 December 2019