High-Level Launch Event of the Scientific Review on “The Impact of Climate Change on Plant Pests: A Global Challenge to Prevent and Mitigate Plant-pest Risks in Agriculture, Forestry and Ecosystems”
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
01/06/2021
High-Level Launch Event of the Scientific Review on
“The Impact of Climate Change on Plant Pests: A Global Challenge to Prevent and Mitigate Plant-pest Risks in Agriculture, Forestry and Ecosystems”
Opening Remarks by
Dr. QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
1 June 2021
As prepared
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. I am pleased to join you at the launch of FAO’s first Scientific Review on the impact of climate change on plant pests.
2. I congratulate the authors of the review and thank them for this timely publication.
3. The review clearly shows that the impact of climate change is one of the greatest challenges the plant health community is facing.
4. Over the last decade, international travel and trade have tripled in volume.
5. This has contributed to the quick spread of plant pests and diseases around the world and caused damage to native plants and the environment.
6. The key findings of this review should alert all of us on how climate change may affect how infectious, distributed and severe pests can become around the world.
7. Some plant pests, like Fall Armyworm and Tephritid fruit flies, have already expanded their host range to warmer climates.
8. Others, such as the Desert Locust, are expected to change their migration routes and distribution due to climate change.
9. Plant pests and diseases are often nearly impossible to eradicate, once they have established themselves in a new territory, while pest management is time-consuming and expensive.
10. FAO’s approach is to ensure that Members and stakeholders respond to the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation simultaneously.
11. Implementing the International Plant Pest Convention (IPPC) International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures is essential.
12. To address the growing impact of climate change on plant health, we need increased international cooperation, as underlined in the Review.
13. We stand ready to strengthen collaboration with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others to ensure that phytosanitary matters are better reflected in the international climate change agenda.
14. Policymakers should ensure continuous and adequate support to empirical research on the impact of climate change on plant health.
15. National phytosanitary systems and structures need to be strengthened, to respond rapidly to potential pest outbreaks.
16. FAO will continue to support its Members with technical and scientific advice.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
17. Preserving plant health is fundamental to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
18. Sustaining plant health is an integral part of our work towards MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.
19. The Review strengthens our knowledge base to coordinate effective global action in support of better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.
20. It is an important legacy of the International Year of Plant Health and we hope that it will spark interest among all stakeholders, including farmers, decision-makers and the plant health community.
21. Thank you.