4. Legacy
and
way forward

The IPPC Strategic Framework 2020–2030 includes assessing and managing the impact of climate change on plant health as one of the development agenda items to be addressed by the global plant health community over the current decade.

The mitigation of this impact will present a major challenge to national plant protection organizations (NPPOs) and international organizations working in plant health. International trade policies and phytosanitary measures will need careful evaluations and refinements to address climate change response strategies. The resulting changes in plant health, such as climate change induced changes in pest epidemiology and frequent expansion of pest distributions, will provide challenges especially in areas such as surveillance, monitoring and other phytosanitary measures, as well as pest risk analysis. The risk of pests adapting to a changing climate may cause new pest risks to major staple crops. Therefore, it is important to forecast, prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change on plant health.

To this end, the IYPH 2020 Action Plan included a focus on the significant impact that climate change can have on the dispersal and epidemiology of pests and diseases. The IYPH International Steering Committee commissioned a scientific review to explore how climate change impacts insect pests and diseases such as fall armyworm, desert locust, banana fusarium wilt and potato late blight.

The review puts forward recommendations to prevent and mitigate plant pest risks in agriculture, forestry and ecosystems. It also contributes to enhancing science-based discussions on how to assess and manage the impact of climate change on plant health.

The review was published, along with a summary for policymakers, at a high-level virtual launch event on 1 June 2021, with opening remarks from FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu. Permanent representatives from Zambian and Finnish ministries for agriculture and forestry also delivered keynote speeches.

This scientific review is primarily addressed to the plant health community and decision makers, including government officials, legislators and politicians. The review provides a scientific basis for assessing and managing the impact of climate change on plant health in phytosanitary policy planning and legal frameworks.

In addition, the review offers an opportunity to enhance international dialogue and to raise awareness on the growing impact of climate change and the risks it poses to plant health and, consequently, to the attainment of the 2030 Agenda. The results and recommendations of the review can also enhance adequate human and financial resources to deal with pest emergencies and to forecast, prevent and mitigate the impacts caused by climate change on plant health.

The evidence assessed in the scientific review strongly indicates that climate change has already expanded some pests’ host range and geographical distribution, and may further increase the risk of pest introduction to new areas. Increased international cooperation and development of harmonized plant protection strategies are crucial to help countries successfully adapt their pest risk management measures to climate change.

The review was conducted by lead author Maria Lodovica Gullino (University of Turin, Italy) and ten external experts from all FAO regions: Ramon Albajes (Spain), Ibrahim Al-Jboory (Iraq), Francislene Angelotti (Brazil), Subrata Chakraborty (Australia), Karen A. Garrett (United States of America), Brett Phillip Hurley (South Africa), Peter Juroszek (Germany), Khaled Makkouk (Lebanon), Xubin Pan (China) and Tannecia Stephenson (Jamaica). It went through an external peer-review process that involved FAO staff at the IPPC Secretariat, the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB), the Land and Water Division (NSL), the Forestry Division (NFO) and the Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP).

Full report: https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4769en

Digital report: http://www.fao.org/3/cb4769en/online/cb4769en.html

Summary for Policymakers: https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4777en

Webcast of the high-level launch event: http://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/5544/icode/