Plants make up 80 percent of the food we eat and majority of animal feed. Yet, they are under constant attack from pests, with the FAO estimating that up to 40 percent of food crops are destroyed globally each year.
Factors such as climate change, globalisation of trade and tourism are making things worse. That is why the United Nations have declared 2020 the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) to:
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raise awareness of how protecting plant health can help end hunger,
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reduce poverty,
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protect the environment,
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boost economic development, and
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contribute to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.