The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) is annually observed across the globe on 12th May to create global awareness on the importance of plant health towards end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development.
12th May 2022 marks the observance of the first ever International Day of Plant Health.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/76/256 on 29th March 2022 and proclaimed the 12th May of every year as the International Day of Plant Health.
ii.The resolution also invited the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO), in collaboration with the International Plant Protection Convention to facilitate the observance of the International Day of Plant Health.
Note:
i.The observance was championed by Zambia and unanimously adopted by UNGA in the resolution co-signed by Bolivia, Finland, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania
ii.The observance of the International Day of Plant Health is a key legacy of the International Year of Plant Health 2020.
Objective:
- Highlight the importance of keeping plants healthy to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda, particularly Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 2: Zero Hunger.
- To reduce the risk of spreading plant pests through trade and travel, by triggering compliance with international plant health standards.
- To Strengthen monitoring and early warning systems to protect plants and plant health
- Enable sustainable pest and pesticide management to keep plants healthy while protecting the environment
- Promote investment in plant health innovations, research, capacity development and outreach.
Importance of Plant health:
i.The health of humans and the health of our earth depend on plants, which make up to 80% of the food we eat and produce around 98% of the oxygen we breathe.
ii.Around 40% of food crops are lost due to plant pests and diseases every year and this affects both food security and agriculture
iii.FAO is working toward preventing the spread of quarantine and transboundary plant pests and diseases which have increased in recent times.
iv.Destructive transboundary plant pests and diseases include Desert locust, fall armyworm, fruit flies, banana disease TR4, cassava diseases and wheat rusts
About Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO):
Director-General– Qu Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy
