13 May 2024

Keeping plants healthy ensures food safety and safe trade for sustainable economies and livelihoods

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative, Ms Lesedi Modo-Mmopelwa stated during International Day of Plant Health commemoration on Monday.

Ms Modo-Mmopelwa said humans depended on plants for 80 per cent of the food they eat and 98 per cent of the oxygen they breathe.

“Both our health and the health of the entire planet depends on plants,” she said and noted that it was disheartening that up to 40 per cent of food crops were lost due to pests, weeds and diseases every year.

These, she said not only affected the economy of the country but also had a serious vulnerability impact on rural communities which were dependent on agriculture.

Ms Modo-Mmopelwa further stated that climate change and human activities were also affecting plant health and damaging biodiversity while creating a conducive environment for pests and diseases, making them appear in places where they were never seen before.

In response to these invasiveness, the use of pesticides could increase, which harm pollinators, natural pest enemies and organisms crucial for a healthy environment, Ms Modo-Mmopelwa said.

She said that each year, millions of containers moved between countries carrying goods such as plant products and that posed biosecurity threats.

Ms Modo-Mmopelwa said it was paramount to protect plant health across borders by promoting global collaboration and international standards.

The International Day of Plant Health she said called for everyone including governments, policy makers, general public, farmers, NGOs, and the private sector to raise awareness and take action to keep plants healthy.

Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Health acting director, Ms Velemina Pelokgale stated that the purpose of the day was to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health could help to end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and environment as well as boost economic development.

First celebrated in Ireland May 2022, Ms Pelokgale said the day also aimed to increase awareness on the importance of keeping plants healthy in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as to minimize the risk of spreading plant pests through trade and travel, strengthen and monitor and early warning systems to protect plants and enable sustainable pest and pesticide management to keep plants healthy among others.

She said the department of plant health was already rallying behind these objectives.

European Union-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement Support Programme, Mr Martin Kuchler stated that they were instrumental in building plant health capacity in the country through training.

He further said there was need for the country to put more resources into plant health and build expertise in the industry.

The commemoration, which was the first time in the country, was themed: Plant Health, Safe Trade and Digital Technology. Ends