Plants comprise the key component for direct or indirect human nutrition. Agriculture must be highly productive and sustainable in order to meet the increasing demand for food, feed, fuel and fibre to support a rapidly growing global human population, as well as reach higher quality providing health benefits.
As a result of the large areas devoted to agriculture and the high demand of resources, the technologies used in the production and protection of plants are most relevant for the global environment.
Pathogens and pests compete with humans for plant-based food. Plant protection to pests in agriculture, horticulture and forestry is the main area of focus for EPSO’s Plant Health Working Group (WG).
In this context, the Plant Health WG proposes to join efforts on three major challenges:
- To develop novel and sustainable pest control methods
- To detect pests that affect plant health and reduce crop yields
- To develop and validate pest and crop management technologies and disseminate them to end users
The Plant Health WG aims to provide tools and raise societal awareness on how plant health protection could contribute to food and nutritional security, sustain farmers’ income, protect biodiversity and reduce impacts on the environment, ensuring high-quality products and boosting economic development. This requires a joint effort and engagement of academia with industry, farmers, citizens, non-governmental organisations and policy makers.
The next meeting of the Plant Health WG will build on this statement and will be announced by the WG Chairs.
Looking forward to further collaborating with you in the Plant Health WG,
Beat, Tina, Maria, Gian Paolo, Andreas and Karin
Plant Health WG co-chairs: Beat Keller, Tina Romeis, Maria Pozo, Gian Paolo Accotto and Andreas Voloudakis.
EPSO Executive Director: Karin Metzlaff
Click here to read: Full ‘EPSO Plant Health statement’
Contacts:
EPSO Plant Health WG Chairs:
Beat Keller, Uni ZUR, CH
Tina Romeis, IPB, DE
Maria Pozo, CSIC, ES
Gian Paolo Accotto, CNR / IT
Andreas Voloudakis, AUA, GR
EPSO: Karin Metzlaff, EPSO Executive Director