Transforming pest surveillance: Africa Phytosanitary Programme leverages geospatial technology

Nairobi, 27 January 2025. Over 50 plant health officers from Africa are attending a week-long training in Pest monitoring and detection information management to hone their skills in advanced digital technology and science-based strategies for pest surveillance and prevention.

The training, from 27-31 January 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, is organized by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), supported by the African Union Commission on Agriculture, with financial support from the European Union.

Hosted by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), it is organized under the Africa Phytosanitary Programme (APP), an IPPC-led initiative to boost the capacity of plant health officers to harness technology for pest surveillance, detection, prevention and control. Participants include phytosanitary officers from national plant protection organizations (NPPOs) in Egypt, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the six Anglophone countries of the 11 in the APP pilot phase.

The workshop will enhance participants’ knowledge and skills in the latest geospatial software for pest monitoring and detection. Participants will be retrained in using APP survey protocols for prioritized pests and will explore the application of advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. The training programme includes lectures, hands-on sessions, field and laboratory demonstrations and information-sharing sessions on topics such as surveillance, National Reporting Obligations, and IPPC eLearning courses. Experts from the IPPC, KEPHIS, and USDA will lead the training.

“Pests are a serious threat to food security in Africa and limit the competitiveness of Africa’s agricultural products in regional and global markets. Improvements in the agricultural sector, such as developing robust early warning and surveillance systems for pests and expanding the technical capabilities of phytosanitary personnel will improve crop production, support socio-economic development and boost the trade of agricultural products within and from Africa to the world”, said Collins Marangu, Agriculture Secretary, Kenya Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, in his opening speech read by Leonard Kubok, Assistant Director for Agriculture .

“With these advanced geospatial tools, countries can better understand the pest problem; use reliable data for effective and timely pest prevention, response, control and recovery; save resources; enhance compliance with international plant health standards, and increase market access”, said Arop Deng, Lead of the Integration and Support Team, IPPC Secretariat.

Knowledge, data, and investment essential for Africa’s resilience

Plants make up 80 percent of the food we eat. Pest outbreaks and infestations cause widespread hunger, food insecurity, and income loss for millions. Pests and pathogens such as Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), and Banana Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense), which attack vital crops such as maize, sorghum, citrus, and banana, and have caused massive economic and food losses in the region.

Annually, Africa loses 30-60 per cent of agricultural yields due to pests. Climate change exacerbates the problem. However, Africa has limited technical phytosanitary capacity for active pest surveillance and detection, which complicates pest prevention.

Speaking on behalf of Hamisi Williams, FAO Kenya Assistant Representative, Stanley Kimere, FAO Kenya Programme Associate, highlighted the "significant interest and demand for solution-oriented programmes in Africa such as APP". He emphasized APP's potential to boost pest surveys and data collection for informed decision-making.

Theophilus Mutui, Managing Director, KEPHIS, highlighted APP as a major step in ensuring Africa’s capacity to respond to pest outbreaks and prevent cross-border spread.

“By dedicating our time, expertise, and resources to the Africa Phytosanitary Programme (APP), we are investing in the growth and resilience of our continent’s agricultural systems”, he said.

Regional collaboration

From 2025, APP will expand to eight more countries (Phase 2) and eventually cover all African countries. The IPPC Secretariat has equipped pilot countries with ArcGIS-enabled tablets and will provide essential field survey tools such as pheromone traps. APP is also helping to achieve milestones in the Plant Health Strategy for Africa, particularly in capacity building.

Mohamed Habib Ben Jamâa- Executive Director, Near East and North Africa Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO) and Saliou Niassy, Coordinator of the African Union Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC), emphasized the importance of regional collaboration for APP’s effective implementation. They also urged greater investment and political support for phytosanitary work on the continent. NEPPO and AU-IAPSC- co-lead APP’s Operational coordination working group.

Contact

• Anita Tibasaaga, Communications Specialist, IPPC Secretariat. [email protected]
• Joseph Othieno, Communication Officer, FAO Kenya. Tel: +254 721 448462 [email protected]
• Kellen Karuti, Deputy Director, Corporate Communication, KEPHIS Tel: +254 728 486170 [email protected]