Joint Briefing on the Implementation of FAO Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control Opening Remarks
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
01/12/2022
Joint Briefing on the Implementation of
FAO Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control
Opening Remarks
By
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
and
Steering Committee Chairperson
1 December 2022
Excellences,
Dear Members of the Steering Committee,
Dear Colleagues,
1. Exactly 3 years ago, we launched the Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control.
2. In 2016, 6 countries in West Africa reported Fall Armyworm outside its native range.
3. Today, 78 countries in Africa, the Near East, Asia and the Pacific are reporting the presence of this destructive plant pest.
4. Early attempts to control the spread of Fall Armyworm relied on intensified pesticide use, putting human health and the environment at risk.
5. FAO, together with partners, joined forces working together to mitigate these risks and control this invasive pest.
6. The Global Action’s coordination mechanism ensures that resources at global, regional and national levels effectively reach farmers’ fields.
7. Guidelines for prevention and preparedness have been developed and disseminated to guide action in countries,
8. And we are validating and disseminating Integrated Pest Management practices.
9. These include upscaling good agricultural practices, capacity development, biocontrol technologies and improved crop varieties.
10. Although we are seeing some positive outcomes, there is still much work to do.
11. We cannot afford to slow down now – in fact, we need to roll up our sleeves ever further and speed up action.
12. Earlier this year, the Steering Committee, the Technical Committee and the Working Group on Resource Mobilization supported the proposal to extend this initiative to 2023.
13. This extension would allow us to continue to strengthen our efforts to control this pest and explore expanding the initiative’s scope to cover multiple pests and multiple crops.
14. Today, we are meeting to:
• One: review the core activities and tangible results of the Global Action over the past two years from 2020 to 2022;
• Two: review the technical support provided and its impacts in selected target countries; and
• Three: provide guidance on its implementation for 2023.
15. I wish to thank you for your continued engagement and valuable contributions,
16. Now is a good time to scale up and speed up our process. As we return to the new normal its time to go back to the field to help the farmers.
17. I look forward to a fruitful and productive meeting.
18. Thank you.