International Day of Plant Health

May 12 is International Day of Plant Health, a day designated to raising global awareness of how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development.

Both our health and the health of our planet depend on plants. Plants are the source of the oxygen we breathe, much of the food we eat, the fibres that make our clothes and natural building materials. Yet, up to 40 percent of food crops are lost due to plant pests and diseases every year. This is affecting food security and agriculture, the main source of income for vulnerable rural communities.

Climate change and human activities are also affecting plant health, altering ecosystems and damaging biodiversity while creating new niches for pests to thrive. International travel and trade, which has tripled in volume in the last decade, is making pests and diseases appear in places they were never seen before.

Keeping plants healthy is essential for life on earth and all of us have a role to play. Join us for the global call to action this #PlantHealthDay on 12 May!