The IPPC at the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists MACS) in Tokyo Japan

Dr Jingyuan Xia, IPPC Secretary, deleiverred the keynote address at the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) held from 24-26 April 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. © FAO

24 April 2019, Tokyo - Dr Jingyuan Xia, IPPC Secretary, was invited to deliver a keynote address on the Recent Challenge of Transboundary Plant Pests (TPPs) and the FAO Strategy at the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) held from 24-26 April 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.

In his presentation, Dr Xia provided updates on TPPs such as the Desert locusts, Fall armyworm, Wheat rust, Banana fusarium and Xylella fastidiosa. He analysed the impact of these TPPs on food security, biodiversity, farmers livelihoods and safe trade. He then briefed participants on FAO s strategy and actions - including coordination, prevention, early warning and response, monitoring and sustainable management, and capacity development. Finally, he proposed ten recommendations for dealing with TPPS.

After lively discussions, four major outcomes related to TPPs emerged:

• G20 members agreed that several TPPs - Fall armyworm, Desert locusts, Fruit flies and Red palm weevils, as well as Wheat rusts and blasts, Potato late blasts, Xylella fastidiosa and Banana fusarium - should be priorities for cooperative research.

• G20 members were encouraged to establish networks on the key TPPs among their core diagnostic laboratories, research institutes and universities. They were also encouraged to promote voluntary interactions within and beyond these networks - including with other international initiatives and networks.

• G20 members strongly supported the proposal made by Japan to organize a Technical Workshop on Key Transboundary Plant Pests in late 2019, with more focus on the impact of globalization and climate change on TPPs.

• G20 members expressed their appreciation to the FAO and IPPC for important achievements related to the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) in 2020 and the development of the IPPC ePhyto solution.

The MACS-G20 had two main technical sessions: Transboundary Plant Pests and On-site Adoption of Climate-Smart Technologies. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan, and attended by over 90 participants from G20 member countries as well as ten international and regional organizations.

© FAO