A broad coalition of partners from across Europe have joined forces to launch the second year of the #PlantHealth4Life campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the deep connections between plant health and our daily lives. The objective? Stimulate citizen action to protect plant health. Belgium, through the Federal Public Service Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (FPS SPSCAE), is once again participating in the campaign led by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Commission (EC ) and 21 other European countries.
How does plant health affect our lives?
Plants make up 80% of the food we eat and purify the air we breathe. But that’s not all: healthy plants mean good agricultural yields, which affects the availability and price of food for consumers. Climate change and human activities such as trade and travel are putting great pressure on plants; The spread of plant pests and diseases can have disastrous economic and environmental consequences.
Think about Ralstonia solanacearum, a bacteria which endangers potato production, which represents more than 100,000 hectares of agricultural land in Belgium. Likewise, fruit flies (Bactrocera dorsalis) have a major impact on fruit and vegetable production and the commercial chain, with potential losses amounting to 10 billion euros per year in the European Union sector.
According to Lieven Van Herzele, head of the Belgian Phytosanitary Service (COPH) and head of the “Plant Protection” unit at the FPS SPSCAE:
“Belgian citizens could be made more aware of plant health. This is where the #PlantHealth4Life campaign comes in: it promotes collective awareness of the risks to plant health and encourages us to think about the role that each of us can play in the protection of plants in Belgium and in Europe and to act..”
Tobin Robinson, Head of EFSA’s PLANT HEALTH Unit, who will present the campaign at the Plant Health Without Borders symposium organized today in Brussels by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, said:
» Plant health has an impact not only on the environment, the economy and the European food chain, but also on our present and our future: by preserving plant health, we protect life. It is therefore a source of pride to see the extent to which Europeans are engaged in this area, as evidenced by the unprecedented participation of Member States in the #PlantHealth4Life campaign.”
“Enlightened European citizens, with accurate information on plant health, can help protect and preserve our biodiversity. » says Claire Bury, Deputy Director General for Food Sustainability at DG SANTE. “Plant health is a priority of the European Commission as part of the One Health approach. By informing citizens about the importance of not importing harmful organisms into the European Union and giving them the knowledge to take appropriate action, we can make a difference.”
Every European can do something!
The actions of every European are essential to keeping plants healthy. Visit the #PlantHealth4Life campaign website and find out how to keep plants healthy. You’ll find resources available in all EU languages, including press materials, social media posts to share on your channels and videos.
You might find them useful, especially if you are:
a curious traveler who loves exploring the world and nature; a gardener who grows and maintains his vegetables, flowers and trees at home, in his garden or on his balcony; a parent who cares about the food their children eat and wants to protect farming communities, the environment and biodiversity for future generations.
This year offers many opportunities to participate in the campaign, which will tour trade fairs, exhibitions and schools in participating countries. Check out the country page of the campaign website to see what’s happening in your country and stay tuned for more information as it becomes available!
A multi-country campaign
#PlantHealth4Life is a multi-annual, multi-country campaign designed at the request of the European Commission and based on an in-depth analysis of perceptions and behaviors related to plant health across the European Union, in which Belgium is participating for the second time. consecutive year. This year’s campaign involves 21 Member States and one candidate country, doubling the scope of the previous year: Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Montenegro.
Originally published in The European Times.
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