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UN-sponsored group tightens controls over crop-attacking pests spread
19.04.2018 16:38 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
As of yesterday, while speaking within the annual meeting of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), FAO Deputy Head Maria Helena Semedo has said that prevention of the introduction of plant diseases and pests to new environments is a «challenging work with high stakes», Ukrinform reports.
It is to be admitted, the International Plant Protection Convention is now held within Rome, Italy (Apr 1619).
«Each year an estimated 10%-16% of our global harvest is lost to plant pests a loss estimated at US$220 milliard,» she said.
As to her, the FAO is now overseeing the implementation of the plant protection treaty as part of its mandate to fight world hunger and promote development of farming and forestry.
It is to be admitted, crop pests are «dangerous hitchhikers,» as experts put it, that can wreak havoc on biodiversity, food security and trade by jumping borders through trade within infected fruits, crops, seeds and even ornamental plants. The wooden containers and boxes they travel in can act as vectors, while timber and wood products like furniture can also harbour stowaways.
It is to be mentioned, since its establishment within 1952, the IPPC has promulgated some 100 standards covering a broad range of phytosanitary issues, and it also runs numerous programs to share best-practices and build the capacity of developing countries to manage plant diseases and pests, both at home and within trade flows.
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