IPPC contracting parties pledge USD 1.8 million for plant health as CPM-19 session closes

Rome, 21 March 2025. The annual gathering of the plant health community closed today on a high note, with pledged contributions of USD 1.8 million to support global efforts to protect plants. Pledges were made by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Korea.

The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) during its nineteenth session (CPM-19) convened contracting parties to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to adopt plant health standards, report on the IPPC’s work progress and discuss emerging phytosanitary issues.

During the opening on 17 March, Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), urged bold and urgent action from IPPC contracting parties to enhance plant protection efforts.

“Healthy plants are the foundation of productive farms and strong rural livelihoods. Yet, pests and the spread of invasive species destroy up to 40 percent of global crops, costing the global economy over USD 220 billion each year. We must make plant health a priority”, Qu emphasized.

To affirm FAO’s commitment, the Director-General confirmed a USD 500 000 allocation in the FAO Programme of Work and Budget for 2026-27 to the IPPC, the first increase from the FAO Regular Budget for the IPPC in five years. This allocation will aid in developing and implementing international standards, capacity development and innovation.

Additionally, CPM-19 adopted the first of the next generation of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) namely, ISPM 46 on the trade of fresh mango fruit, and the annex to ISPM 39 on systems approaches for wood in international trade. Amendments to annexes of both standards will facilitate safe international trade to prevent pest movement across borders.

To further cement IPPC’s commitment to build the capacity of national plant protection organizations, the IPPC Plant Health Campus was launched during CPM-19. The Campus is an innovative e-learning platform that will offer free high-level e-learning courses to strengthen the technical capability and competence of plant health professionals.

This year, the IPPC will review the implementation of the IPPC Strategic Framework 2020-2030, having reached its halfway point of implementation. The framework sets eight development agenda items or priority work areas that guide the IPPC, governing and subsidiary bodies, expert working groups, partners and donors. The review will provide insights on the IPPC's progress, address challenges and explore opportunities to enhance efforts such as the use of innovation and digital technology and adopting the One Health approach to protecting plant health.