International Year of Plant Health 2020 Launch Event at FAO Headquarters Today

Plant protection is essential to produce higher quality crops with less wastage. It is the practice of managing climate conditions, pests, diseases and weeds that actually damage or hinder the growth of vegetable, fruits and other horticultural crops.

The UN General Assembly in its 73rd session in December 2018 had adopted a resolution, declaring 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). The IYPH launch event will take place today (2 December 2019) from 05:45pm to 07:45pm at Sheikh Zayed Center, FAO Headquarters. The official programme i.e. the opening & panel discussion will be enriched by a plant health exhibit in the FAO atrium.

Objective:

The main objective of the event is to mark the launch of International Year of Plant Health whose specific objectives are:

• To raise awareness of the public & political decision makers at the global, regional & national levels about plant health.

• To promote & strengthen national, regional & global plant health efforts and their resources in view of increasing trade & new pest risks caused through climate change.

• To educate public by increasing their knowledge about plant health.

• To enhance dialogue & stakeholder's involvement in plant health.

• To increase information about state of plant protection in the world.

• To facilitate establishment of plant health partnerships on national, regional & global levels.

The International Year of Plant Health will also increase awareness of the importance of healthy plants to attain several Sustainable Development Goals like No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Sustainable Consumption and Production etc.

Event Schedule

The FAO Director-General (DG) will open the plant health exhibition at 5:45 pm, which will be followed by the official IYPH 2020 launch event from 6:00-7:45 pm. The programme includes the FAO Director-General's opening speech, followed by keynote remarks by Minister of Agriculture & Livestock of Nicaragua and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine of Ireland and so on.