FAO-CIHEAM Bari High-Level Meeting Calls for a Five-year Action plan for Sustainable Management of Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases in the region

23 June 2023, Italy - To consolidate collaborative efforts among NENA countries and facilitate the implementation of the regional strategy for sustainable management of transboundary plant pests and diseases in the Near East and North Africa region, the FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa, in collaboration with the International Center for Advanced Agricultural Studies for the Mediterranean in Bari (CIHEAM Bari) and the Near East Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO) organized a high-level meeting from 21 to 23 June 2023 in Bari, Italy.

The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region constantly faces the threat of Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases (TPPDs), which cause severe losses to agricultural production that may reach 25 to 40 per cent of the total global production. TPPDs pose a threat to food security and safety in the NENA region, requiring specific solutions for the production of healthy plants and sustainable food production systems. Adequate policies, legislation, smart investments, regional collaboration, and planning are essential for ensuring higher efficiency and prompt responses to threats to food systems. 

To tackle these issues, FAO proposed the establishment of a regional trust fund during the regional conference on TPPDs in NENA countries held in January 2020. The regional trust fund aims to mitigate the risk of TPPDs by reducing the probability of their introduction and spread, thus minimizing their impact on the economy.

The proposed TPPDs strategy would allocate 52 per cent of the budget to capacity building, 28 per cent to environmental, economic, and social impacts, and 20 per cent to cooperation and knowledge; estimated at USD 24.8 million, USD 13.5 million, and USD 9.4 million respectively.

At the end of the High-Level Meeting, the participants released the so called "Bari Declaration" that calls for necessary measures to activate the strategy by defining and adopting a five-year action plan by the members, with the need to designate focal points to coordinate and facilitate cooperation between member states and the council, and to communicate with donors to allocate the necessary resources to implement the regional strategy. Representatives of Ministers of Agriculture of the participated countries of the NENA region endorsed the declaration. 

The meeting was attended by the FAO’s Plant Protection Division (NSP), Mr Jingyuan Xia and the Locust and Transboundary Plant Pest and Disease Team Leader, Mr Shoki Al-Dobai. In his conclusion remarks, Mr Xia emphasized the importance of the subject to the region, monitoring and early waring and regional coordination and networking. He advised on the importance of developing the action plan to support the implementation of the strategy and establishing of a coordination committee.