Page 3 - July-December 2019 [Compatibility Mode]

ENVIS newsletter

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International Year of Plant Health (IYPH)

ProtectingPlants,ProtectingLife
The United Nations
General Assembly declared Plants are the source of the air we breathe
2020 as the International and most of the food we eat, yet we often don’t
Year of Plant Health think about keeping them healthy. This can have
(IYPH). The year is a once devastating results. FAO estimates that up to 40% of
in a lifetime opportunity to food crops are lost due to plant pests and diseases
raise global awareness on annually. This leaves millions of people without
how protecting plant enough food to eat and seriously damages
health can help end agriculture - the primary source of income for rural
hunger, reduce poverty, poor communities.
protect the environment, Plant health is increasingly under threat. Climate change, and
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and boost economic human activities, have altered ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and
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development. .
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c r e a t i ng ne w n i c he s w he r e pe s t s c a n t h r i v e . A t t he s a m e t i m e ,
creating new niches where pests can thrive. At the same time,
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international travel and trade has tripled in volume in the last decade
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and can quickly spread pests and diseases around the world causing
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great damage to native plants and the environment.
Protecting plants from pests and diseases is far more cost
effective than dealing with full-blown plant health emergencies.
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Plant pests and diseases are often impossible to eradicate once they
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have established themselves and managing them is time consuming
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and expensive. Prevention is critical to avoiding the devastating What can we do to support
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impact of pests and diseases on agriculture, livelihoods and food Plant Health?
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security and many of us have a role to play.
Taking an ecosystem approach
We all need to respect plant
health regulations that have been put
We can both prevent plant pests and in place to protect agriculture, forestry
diseases, and tackle them, in environmentally and the environment. Be careful about
friendly ways - such as through integrated pest bringing plants and plant products
management. This ecosystem approach combines (e.g. seeds, vegetables, cut flowers)
different management strategies and practices to across borders, even when you order
grow healthy crops while minimizing the use of from online sources. Everyday actions
pesticides. Avoiding poisonous substances when also include reducing your
dealing with pests not only protects the environmental footprint, protecting
environment, it also protects pollinators, natural natural resources and spreading the
pest enemies, beneficial organisms and the people word.
and animals who depend on plants.
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