South Africa marked International Day of Plant Health on Tuesday, 12 May, with renewed calls for stronger biosecurity measures to protect crops, food systems and rural livelihoods from destructive pests and diseases.
The department of agriculture, together with the Mpumalanga department of agriculture, rural development, land and environmental affairs, commemorated the day in Mbombela under the global theme “Plant biosecurity for food security and nutrition”.
Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen used the occasion to stress the direct connection between healthy plants and national food security.
“Plant biosecurity is active involvement. Fighting plant pests and diseases today secures food security for tomorrow for animals and humans,” Steenhuisen said.
“By strengthening plant biosecurity, we are locking the doors against devastating pests and securing the nutrition, livelihoods and future for all South Africans. Protecting plants today is the only way to feed tomorrow.”
Plants make up around 80% of the food consumed globally and are also a major source of oxygen, yet they remain under constant threat from invasive pests and diseases.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, up to 40% of global food crops are destroyed every year by pests and diseases.
Speaking during the commemoration, Dipepeneneng Serage, deputy director-general for agricultural production, biosecurity and natural resources management, said plant protection could not rest solely on the shoulders of government or farmers.
“Protecting plants is not just the responsibility of farmers or government or scientists, or an agricultural issue, but a shared responsibility. It is a national and global responsibility,” said Serage.
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Plant pests threaten food security
This year’s commemoration highlighted the growing threat posed by invasive pests, including the Oriental fruit fly, Fall armyworm and Citrus greening disease.
South Africa also continues to battle other quarantine pests and diseases such as the Polyphagous shot hole borer, Macadamia felted coccid disease, Banana Bunchy Top Virus and Citrus black spot.
The government warned that the spread of these pests threatens food security, agricultural productivity and the livelihoods of poor rural communities that depend heavily on farming.
Serage said the department plans to strengthen collaboration with universities, the Agricultural Research Council, provincial governments, municipalities, traditional leaders and the private sector to improve plant biosecurity systems across the country.
As part of the programme, farmers and delegates visited the Mpumalanga International Food Market to observe how the facility links producers to regional and international markets and the role plant health plays in agricultural trade.
The United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed the International Day of Plant Health in March 2022 and forms part of broader efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030.
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