INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PLANT HEALTH 2023 Plant health for environmental protection Opening Remarks

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PLANT HEALTH 2023

Plant health for environmental protection 

Opening Remarks

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

12 May 2023

 

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

 

Today as we celebrate International Day of Plant Health 2023, there are some important questions we need to ask, and some important answers we need to have.

 

ONE: What does Plant Health mean, and how can we make plants healthier?

 

Plant health refers to the overall well-being and condition of plants, including their ability to resist and recover from stresses, such as pests, diseases and environmental factors: i.e. biotic and abiotic stresses.

 

To make plants healthier there are several steps, from a technical perspective:

 

First of all, provide proper growing conditions. This is not only related to plant protection. Different plants have different requirements regarding light, water and nutrients. It is important to research the specific needs of plants.

 

Secondly, you need to monitor for pests and diseases regularly; check the plant for signs of pest and disease symptoms, such as discoloration, wilting, like bacterial wilt. For example, I worked for many years on mosaic virus, which is a symptom of viruses.

 

Another example is abnormal growth: if a problem is detected, take proper action to control and prevent further damage.

 

Third, practise good hygiene. Keep the growing area clean and free of debris that can harbour pests and disease. Clean tools and equipment before and after use to prevent the spread of pathogens, and you can make use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control the disease – in some areas they use organic methods. Then, you should provide support for plants, such as staking or trellising.

 

As you know, I come from the horticulture sector. We have used a number of wind proof facilities to protect plants in the early season, from windy places, or other protective measures such as protection by warming up with rice straw to cover soil surface.  This is to prevent damage from winds and other negative conditions, as well as to support the heavy fruits such as with citrus or lemons.

 

Rotation of crops is also important. You should rotate the location of plants from year to year to prevent the build-up of pests and disease in the soil, and also control the continuous cropping obstacles.

 

TWO: How to make plants healthier through enabling policies and innovation?

 

You need to implement sustainable agricultural practices, encourage policies that support and promote organic farming, integrated pest management, advanced technologies, and maintain soil and water health.

 

We also need to protect natural habitats. That is what we can learn from traditional agricultural practices by Indigenous Peoples.

 

We need to enforce policies that preserve and restore natural habitats, including forestry, wetlands and grasslands. Moreover, theses habitats support plant biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services, such as pollination and seeds dispersal.

 

For this reason, FAO offers a holistic packet of solutions that promote, among others, reforestation and afforestation.

 

It is important to invest in research and development; allocate resources to fund research and development efforts; and focus on plant health resilience that includes studying plant genetics to develop disease resistant varieties.

 

We need to genetically improve the resistance of crops to create immune systems and resistance.

 

THREE: What is the foundation for plant health or crop health?

 

We need genetically improved varieties and improved plant breeding technology, enhanced productivity, and adaptability. Through genetic improvement, you can have the potential to produce more with less. Otherwise, farmers keep overusing fertilizers, sprays, insecticides, pesticides and so on. Therefore, we need to offer real and fundamental technical solutions.

 

We need to encourage sustainable planning. At FAO, we do not focus only on rural areas, as more and more people move to live in the cities we need to focus on agricultural planning, incorporating green infrastructure, and enabling gardening initiatives. That is why I started the Green Cities Initiative. 

 

The urban planning policy that promotes the integration of plants within the city – which is also what makes Rome beautiful, not just the buildings, but also the beautiful greenery, flowers and fruits, and all the gardening.

 

This is also a new requirement, especially for people who are from the Least Developed Countries. We are now in the quick stage of urbanization. For example, the bold decision by the President of Egypt to build a new capital near Cairo – that is the way of modernization. 

 

We need to improve air quality and reduce urban heat islands, such as in New York, or Beijing. This is also related to FAO’s mandate. 

 

We need to enhance the overall wellbeing; and support the conservation of seeds and the germplasm gene bank - this is also part of our mandate.

 

We need to foster and encourage international collaboration to address global plant health challenges. After the International Year of Plant Health, now we have the International Day of Plant Health. It is not a silo decision, it was decided by the UN General Assembly.

 

Addressing these challenges includes sharing knowledge, best practices and resources to develop innovative solutions for plant diseases, invasive species, alien species, and the impacts of the climate crisis.

 

We need to educate and raise awareness: develop educational programmes and public campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of plant health.

 

It is also very important to include the One Health Approach. The One Health Approach used to talk only about zoonotic diseases, but that was too narrow. We are a One Health Planet, we need plant health, soil health, pet health, animal health and human health. At FAO, we have the technical knowledge and capacity to address each of these technical areas of work.

 

We can offer technical assistance that can lead to behavior change, and increase support for plant friendly policies.

 

We have to change our way of thinking. If you only talk about your own small silo, such as only about disease control, then you debate whether to use pesticides or not, to use fertilizers or not, and then should it be organic fertilizers or chemical fertilizers. If you ask farmers, they are not only focused on one area, they need to focus on all the related areas. In the same way, we should also work together as one big team.

 

Let us start to change the way we celebrate the International Day. You need to be technical, professional and holistic. Starting with me as Director-General, I also need to speak from a technical point of view, to challenge you at different aspects of scientific, economic, social and environmental angles – not just deliver a bureaucratic statement!  Comprehensive Innovation is key!

 

Thank you.