International Day of Plant Health

Description :

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 12th as the International Day of Plant Health. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), this decision was submitted by Zambia and unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in a resolution co-signed by Bolivia, Finland, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania.

This resolution indicates increasing plant health to the sustainable development of agriculture required to feed a growing global population by 2050. As well as, it includes healthy plants that constitute the foundation for all life on Earth, ecosystem functions, a healthy atmosphere, food security, and nutrition.

The United Nations designated the International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) to raise global awareness on how to protect plant health. Because healthy plants can help to end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, boost economic development and protect biodiversity. Plants make up 80% of the food we eat and 98% of the oxygen we breathe. Considering that, both the health of our planet and our health depend on plants. But, at the present, plants are under threat, and every year up to 40% of food crops are lost due to pests and diseases. This affects food security & agriculture and the primary income source of rural communities.

The International Day of Plant Health has five specific objectives (As per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). These are,

1. Increase awareness of the importance of keeping plants healthy to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
2. Campaign to minimize the risk of spreading plant pests through trade and travel, by triggering compliance with international plant health standards.
3. Strengthen monitoring and early warning systems to protect plants and plant health.
4. Enable sustainable pest and pesticide management to keep plants healthy while protecting the environment.
5. Promote investment in plant health innovations, research, capacity development, and outreach.

Climate change and human activities are affected to change ecosystems and damage biodiversity. Also, it helps to create new niches for pests to thrive. These pests and diseases are spreading from International travel and trade. Considering the last decade, this has tripled in volume. Therefore, we need to protect plants.