IYPH2020

PROTECTING PLANTS, PROTECTING LIFE

International Year of Plant Health 2020

Plants are the source of the oxygen we breathe, and ultimately of all the food we eat. The United Nations has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health. The year is a once in a lifetime opportunity to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development. It will also highlight the vital role of national and regional plant health organizations in protecting plants from deadly pests and diseases.

Want to learn more? Here is our list of suggestions

  • IPPC website on the International Year of Plant Health
  • An Australian IYPH website has been created to promote the IYPH activities being carried across the country
  • The American Phytopathological Society (APS) has lanched an IYPH2020 website

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Facts

Plant health in numbers

  • Plants makeup 80% of the food we eat and produce 98% of the oxygen we breathe

  • Plant pests 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

  • The annual value of trade in agricultural products has grown almost three-fold over the past decade, largely in emerging economies and developing countries, reaching USD 1.7 trillion.

  • FAO estimates that agricultural production must rise by about 60% by 2050 in order to feed a larger and generally richer population.

Key messages

International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) 2020

  1. It is risky to bring plants and plant products across borders as this may spread plant pests and diseases.
  2. Make trading in plants and plant products safe without setting up unnecessary barriers.
  3. Keep plants healthy to protect the environment and biodiversity.
  4. Protect, manage and restore terrestrial and marine environments to keep plants healthy.
  5. Invest in plant health organizations and phytosanitary research and development.
  6. Healthy plants are crucial for ending hunger and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
  7. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) provide guidance and lead global efforts to ensure plant health.

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