The International Plant Health Conference’s Report now published

Rome, 6 February 2023. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat is pleased to announce that the report of the first International Plant Health Conference is now published. The report summarizes the discussions on the most pressing issues around plant health as well as the next steps to further strengthen global efforts towards protecting plants and plant resources.

Co-organized by the IPPC and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) of the United Kingdom, the conference served as a global forum for plant health experts to discuss the technical, regulatory and scientific aspects of plant health. In particular, plenaries and symposia were designed to facilitate talks on how plant health can safeguard global food security, protect the environment and biodiversity and facilitate safe trade – the three strategic objectives of the IPPC. The event also served to amplify messages through the media, on what the larger public can do to protect plants.

“I am tremendously proud and honored that the IPPC and DEFRA have successfully organized the first International Plant Health Conference," IPPC Secretary Osama El-Lissy said. “The active participation of subject matter experts and conference attendees is a testament to the commitment of the global IPPC community in protecting the world’s plants.

“Looking ahead, we have much work to do. During the conference, we identified the need for greater investments in innovation and research, harmonization of diagnostics, and overall effective plant health management strategies. We need to effectively communicate the impacts of climate change on plant health and build the capacity of national plant protection organizations.

“More importantly, we need to mobilize resources that will help build stronger national phytosanitary systems that can prevent the spread of plant pests, thereby protecting our food sources, environment and facilitate safe trade,'' he concluded.

The three-day conference, held in September 2022, attracted more than 500 participants from 74 countries, including 120 speakers and facilitators attending in person in London.

The conference report can be downloaded through this link:

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