5th Steering Committee Meeting on Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control Opening Remarks
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
24/11/2021
5th Steering Committee Meeting on
Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control
Opening Remarks
By
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
and Steering Committee Chair
As prepared
24 November 2021
Excellences, colleagues, and friends,
1. Over the last few years, Fall Armyworm has continued to spread rapidly across the globe.
2. In 2016, only 6 African countries reported the pest.
3. Today, over 70 countries in Africa, the Near East and Asia reported infestations.
4. And just one month ago, it was reported to have reached the Solomon Islands in the Pacific.
5. This pest knows no boundaries, and the losses it creates are devastating.
6. In Africa alone, there have been nearly 10 billion US Dollars in yield losses.
7. The Global Action on Fall Armyworm continues to be a needed and effective response.
8. I firmly believe that our joint efforts are beginning to yield concrete results.
9. From the global, regional, and national level directly to farmers’ fields, our coordination structure and mechanism is linking technical partners to deliver science-based control solutions where they are needed most.
10. Migration monitoring and early warning systems are a next critical step.
11. FAO has established a mobile field-scouting application – FAMEWS – which has already collected 60 000 reports from 64 countries.
12. The technical guidelines for prevention and preparedness are also helping countries to ensure the necessary mitigation action.
13. Efforts over the last two years have proven that Fall Armyworm is predictable, manageable and preventable, through strong and effective coordination at all levels.
Dear Colleagues,
14. Implementation of the Global Action has also presented us with a number of challenges, including:
• global pandemic related restrictions,
• limited capacities to test and scale-up control solutions in some countries; and
• lack of financial resources to expand work to pilot countries.
15. To continue with effective implementation of the Global Action, we need more financial support, more technical innovation and more capacity development for farmers.
16. Therefore, at today’s meeting we must:
• One: take stock of key achievements over the past two years;
• Two: analyse major challenges;
• Three: provide strategic inputs for implementation in 2022; and
• Four: discuss the way forward beyond 2022.
17. I wish to thank each of you for your continued efforts, participation and commitment to this global challenge,
18. And I look forward to our continued engagement.
19. Thank you.