Following an initiative by Finland and a unanimous endorsement and resolution by the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations has designated 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health, an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of plant health protection in addressing issues of global concern such as hunger, poverty and threats to the environment.
Plant health is about protecting agriculture, forests and the environment in general from organisms harmful to plants and plant products.
The International Year of Plant Health was intended to help highlight the importance of preventing the introduction and spread of harmful organisms into new areas.
During this year, Member States of the Organization were expected to undertake various activities aimed at highlighting the importance of plant health, exchanging best practices in this area, as well as raising awareness for the promotion of relevant policies aimed in this direction. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not possible to carry out actions at national or global level to the desired extent.
The immense importance attached at the international level to plant health issues and the need for awareness of the contribution that each of us can make to maintaining plant health, led the United Nations General Assembly at its 76th Session to unanimously approve Zambia's proposal to commemorate World Plant Health Day on 12 May each year.
The celebration of World Plant Health Day each year is an ideal opportunity to highlight the vital importance of plant health to food security, environmental protection and sustainable economic development.
What does plant health mean
We all know that plants are the basis of our food chain: without plant production there would be no food for people or feed for animals. Plants are also part of our natural environment, as well as the landscape of our daily lives. Therefore, outbreaks of plant diseases can have devastating consequences for the quality of both our lives and our economy.
Plant diseases can affect the livelihoods of farmers and all businesses involved in the agri-food chain, the quality and prices of our food, as well as the condition of our parks, green spaces and forests. There is a wide range of viruses, bacteria, fungi and insects that can infect plants and plant products and then, through them, enter a new area, act as a threat, become established and spread incredibly quickly, causing incalculable damage.
Today, plant health is increasingly under threat due to human activities with international travel and trade, as well as climate change. Europe's changing climatic conditions are causing changes in ecosystems, affecting biodiversity and creating new 'hotspots' where many pests and diseases can more easily survive and prevail.
The transport of plants and plant products from one country to another poses serious risks, as they can carry pests and diseases. Many countries base much of their economy on trade in plants and plant products, but this trade can lead to the rapid spread of harmful plant pests and diseases.
European Union and plant health
The European Union is moving forward with new policies, new objectives across the whole agri-food chain. It promotes policies for sustainable rural development, food security, protection of flora, animal welfare, improving the very quality of life of the Union's citizens. It is very important that the whole world understands the importance of maintaining good plant health as one of the key tools for achieving these policies.
The aim of the European Union, and by extension of each Member State, is to protect the health of crops, public and private green spaces and forests, while preserving biodiversity and the environment, ensuring the quality of plants and plant products, and the safety of food and feed derived from them. Competent Authority for the implementation of EU plant health rules[/B]
The Department of Agriculture is the Competent Authority for the implementation of EU plant health rules.
In the context of implementing its strategic objectives and studying the new European Legislative Framework in the field of agriculture and food safety, the Department of Agriculture emphasises the strategic EU policy "from farm to fork" and is transforming itself in order to meet the high challenges for sustainable agriculture and food safety. Many times plant diseases are impossible to eradicate once introduced and established, and their management is time-consuming and costly.
As an island, Cyprus is provided with the opportunity to prevent the introduction of pests and diseases into our country. Recognizing the role of active citizenship and the importance of raising public awareness of the importance of plant health, the Department of Agriculture stresses the need to prevent the introduction of pests and diseases into the Republic, with the message: "Keep plant pests and diseases away from our island."
In view of the International Plant Health Day, the Department of Agriculture urges:
- travelers to avoid bringing plants and plant products in their luggage from their travels, as they may carry harmful organisms and diseases.
- the public should avoid ordering plants and plant products through online shopping, as they may escape the necessary phytosanitary controls.
- professionals who trade in plants and plant products in the Republic or import them from third countries to keep themselves informed of developments in plant health issues and to be aware of their obligations under both the relevant national and EU legislation.
For further information, interested parties can follow the link here.
(MB/SX)
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