The United Nations has launched the second phase of its Africa Phytosanitary Programme, a continent-wide initiative to combat destructive crop pests through advanced digital surveillance.

This new phase, spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), expands upon a 2023 pilot project. 

The initial project aimed to strengthen national capabilities for identifying and managing pest outbreaks in eleven African countries: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The launch of the second phase, hosted by South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, took place on Monday. 

The event gathered over 50 plant health experts from nine countries for a week-long training session focused on digital diagnostics and field surveillance.

Participants from Algeria, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Liberia, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia are being trained to use GPS-enabled tablets, customised survey apps and standardised protocols to monitor and report pests of critical economic and environmental importance.

Upon return to their respective countries, they are expected to cascade knowledge to national plant protection organisations across the region.

“We are building a critical mass of phytosanitary inspectors, technicians and officers across Africa by equipping plant health officers with the tools and skills to prevent and address major plant pest threats that ultimately jeopardise food security, agricultural trade, economic growth and the environment,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol.

She noted that by empowering frontline officers with digital tools, the initiative would help to build a continent-wide shield against invasive pests.

The programme is backed by funding from the European Union and the United Kingdom, following initial US Department of Agriculture support.

Pests currently destroy up to 40% of global crop production annually, posing a significant threat to livelihoods and ecosystems. 

According to the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, this comes at a critical moment for Africa, where widespread pest threats like the fall armyworm cause an estimated $9.4 billion in annual crop losses.

A new initiative aims to mitigate these threats in line with the African Union’s plant health strategy. South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, represented by Plant Health Director Jan Hendrik Venter, emphasised the need for stronger enforcement of phytosanitary standards to support Africa’s goals under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Venter stressed that “well-trained, well-equipped plant health officials across the continent are our best line of defence in maintaining pest-free or low-prevalence status, an essential condition for accessing these lucrative markets.”

Source: APA News

Image Credit: FAO