International Day of Plant Health 2023: Date, History, Facts Regarding Crops And Agriculture

Our health and the health of the planet are contingent on the health of our vegetation. Plants provide 98% of the oxygen we breathe and account for 80% of the sustenance we consume.

The International Day of Plant Health (I.D.P.H.) is an annual event held on May 12 to promote awareness of the importance of protecting plant health in order to enhance food security, distribution, and consumption. I.D.P.H. was proclaimed by the United Nations to encourage communities to address plant and crop health issues as a means of helping to end hunger, reduce poverty, preserve biodiversity, and promote economic growth. The day is a legacy of the 2020 United Nations International Year of Plant Health.

The background of International Day of Plant Health

Our health and the health of the planet are contingent on the health of our vegetation. Plants provide 98% of the oxygen we breathe and account for 80% of the sustenance we consume. Yet they are constantly threatened by natural and anthropogenic calamities, such as pest infestations, the increased use of pesticides and herbicides, the accelerating, unsustainable pace of global trade, and climate change. These issues pose risks, particularly for rural, impoverished communities that rely heavily on agriculture for subsistence.

International Day of Plant Health was first brought to the world’s attention by the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which urged increased investment in innovation to enhance food security and guarantee that the food we ingest is grown, delivered, and consumed in a healthy manner. The organisation emphasises the need to transform agricultural systems around the globe so that they are more effective, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

In addition to its proposal, the F.A.O. has outlined several essential steps to improve global plant health, such as fostering more development and instituting standard measures to safeguard global plant resources. In order to improve the health of seedlings, soils, and pollinators, it also highlights the significance of safe trade practises that minimise pesticide use. On the political front, the world’s governments are urged to prioritise the health of their agricultural products and the hygienic quality of their agricultural processes, and to emphasise the need for more scientific input in addressing the issue. In March 2022, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously proclaimed May 12 as International Plant Health Day to bring global attention to these issues. In subsequent years, this holiday will be commemorated by various global, regional, national, and even agricultural events.

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5 FACTS REGARDING CROPS AND AGRICULTURE

According to the F.A.O., plant pests and diseases destroy up to 40% of food crops annually, causing up to $220 billion in annual damages.

The F.A.O. observes that agricultural production must increase by approximately 60 percent by 2050 in order to feed the future’s larger, generally wealthier population.

Agriculture, which employs up to 40 percent of the world’s population, is the largest employer in the world.

Organic farming typically requires 2.5 times more effort than conventional cultivation but can generate 10 times as much profit.

Insects that are beneficial to crops in terms of pollination, pest control, and soil health have decreased by 80 percent over the past 25 to 30 years.