International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) is observed every year on May 12 to raise global awareness about the vital role of plant health in:
- Ending hunger
- Reducing poverty
- Protecting biodiversity and ecosystems
- Boosting economic development
Objectives of IDPH
- Promote awareness of plant health’s role in achieving the UN 2030 Agenda, especially SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- Minimize plant pest spread through trade/travel by promoting compliance with international plant health standards
- Strengthen monitoring and early warning systems to protect plant health
- Encourage sustainable pest and pesticide management for both plant and environmental health
- Promote investments in:
- Innovations and research
- Capacity development
- Public outreach
Background of Day
- Adopted by: UN General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/76/256 (March 2022)
- Proposed by: Bolivia, Finland, Pakistan, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Zambia
- Legacy of: International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) 2020, celebrated during 2020–21
- Significance: Recognizes healthy plants as the foundation of life, essential for:
- Ecosystem services
- Food security
- Nutrition
- Sustainable agriculture
Why is Day Important?
Plants:
- Provide 80% of our food
- Contribute 98% of the oxygen we breathe
Threats:
- 40% of food crops lost annually due to pests/diseases (FAO, 2021)
- Annual economic loss:
- Plant diseases: >$220 billion
- Invasive insects: >$70 billion
Drivers of increased risk:
- Climate change
- Human activities damaging ecosystems
- Increased global travel and trade (tripled in the last decade) spreading invasive pests
Need for Global Action
- Preventive measures are more cost-effective than responding to plant health emergencies.
- Protecting plant health is essential to:
- Feed the world population (expected to grow by 2050)
- Safeguard rural livelihoods
- Protect environment and biodiversity