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Plants are the source of the air we breathe and most of the food we eat, yet we often don’t think about keeping them healthy – it is estimated that up to 40 percent of food crops are lost due to plant pests and diseases annually. This leaves millions of people
without enough food to eat and seriously damages agriculture - the primary source of income for rural poor communities.
The United Nations declared 2020 as the
International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) and the Year - extended due to COVID-19 for an extra six months - featured a range of activities around the world aimed at raising awareness on the importance of healthy plants for food security and attainment
of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Year will draw to a close with a virtual Closing Ceremony on
Thursday, 1 July 2021, from 13:00 to 15:00 hours (CEST).
To follow the event register here. It will also be webcast
here and interpretation services will be available for all FAO official languages.
Organized by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention the ceremony will showcase highlights of the Year – including progress on an International Day of Plant Health, a scientific review of the
impact of climate change on plant pests and a IYPH Youth Declaration.
QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will deliver the opening remarks at the ceremony. Speakers include:
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Jari Leppä, Minister for Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Finland
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Pippa Hackett, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of the Republic of Ireland
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Songowayo Zyambo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture of Zambia
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Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
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Monty Don, IYPH Advocate for Europe (UK)
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Rodrigo Pacheco, IYPH Advocate for Latin America and Caribbean (Ecuador)
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Diarmuid Gavin, IYPH Advocate for Europe (Ireland)
A panel discussion moderated by Jingyuan Xia, Director, FAO Plant Production and Protection Division will then take place with presentations by:
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Ralf Lopian, Chairperson, IYPH International Steering Committee
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Kyu-ock Yim, Vice-Chairperson, IYPH International Steering Committee
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Michael Keller, Secretary-General, International Seed Federation
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Ibrahim Al-Jboory, President of the Arab Society for Plant Protection
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Victoria Valenzi, Youth representative, presenting IYPH Youth Declaration
Closing remarks by Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General.
FAO plant health experts and others are available for interviews.
Please note other IYPH closing events:
IYPH webinar on ‘Food Systems and Plant Health’ on 29 June from 1 to 4 pm (Rome time).
Link for registration here.
IYPH webinar on ‘Climate Change, Plant Health and Biodiversity’ on 30 June from 1 to 4 pm (Rome time).
Link for registration here.
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RESOURCES FOR THE MEDIA
International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) 2020
FAO’s work on plant health
Scientific review on the impact ofclimate change on plant pests
Friends of the International Year of Plant Health
IYPH Advocates
IPPC - International Plant Protection Convention
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