International Day of Plant Health

The United Nations(UN) designated the 12th of May as the International Day of Plant Health to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, protect biodiversity and the environment, reduce poverty, and boost economic development. The UN declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health.

Key Points:

• Our health and the health of our planet depend on plants. Plants make up 80% of the food we eat and 98% of the oxygen we intake, and yet they are under threat.
• Every year around 40% of food crops are lost due to plant pests and diseases.
• This is affecting both food security and agriculture, which is the main source of income for vulnerable rural communities.
• Climate change and human activities have been altering ecosystems and damaging biodiversity while creating new niches for pests to thrive.
• We need to protect plants, both for people and the planet, and all of us have a role to play.