The Kingdom of the Netherlands celebrates 125 years of protecting plant health, our health
Posted on Fri, 29 Nov 2024, 08:19
©NPPO of the Netherlands
Wageningen, 28 November 2024. The national plant protection organization (NPPO) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands celebrated its 125th anniversary and contribution to plant health with an international symposium titled “125 years of protecting plant health in a changing environment”, at the Wageningen International Congress Centre. The symposium featured plenary sessions, a panel discussion on reflections on the past, present and future of the phytosanitary field and thematic break-out sessions on topics such as detecting and managing new risks, research and innovation and developments in horticulture and plant health.
Established on 29 November 1899 as the Phytophatologic Service of the Netherlands, in 2012, the NPPO merged with other governmental organizations to form the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority within the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. Its work includes representing the Netherlands in international meetings and agreements on phytosanitary issues such as the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), providing guidance on the implementation of phytosanitary policies and measures and managing international phytosanitary projects to facilitate plant health and safe trade.
These plant and trade health duties make the NPPO a key institution for the country considered the world's biggest exporter of agricultural produce, after the United States of America. In 2023, the Netherlands exported agricultural goods worth Euros 123.8 billion —a 1.6 percent increase from 2022. Key agriculture exports include cereals, animal feed crops like maize and horticultural products such as vegetables and flowers.
Jean Rummenie, the Netherlands Minister for Fishery, Food Security, Horticulture and Nature Conservation, praised the NPPO and the entire phytosanitary community for being “our ‘guardians of guarantee’, protecting crops, ecosystems, biodiversity, and native species. He highlighted the phytosanitary community's crucial role in not only conducting inspections but also establishing a foundation for global agricultural trade, ensuring economic stability and prosperity through consistent checks and balances.
“Many of the pests you pursue are invisible to the naked eye, just as your hard work is often very invisible to the general public – even in the Netherlands, which plays a key role as Europe’s gateway”, he said. “But I know how much we owe the phytosanitary community for your diligence; how much we owe you for your relentless search for fast, efficient and innovative methods to detect pests and diseases; how much we owe you for developing new digital systems and finding better ways to collaborate internationally in a constantly changing environment – one that grows ever more complex with rules and regulations, growing volumes, climate change and migrating pests, but also geopolitical tensions” he added.
He pledged to continue supporting policies to streamline regulations and to foster cooperation with the Dutch national framework, European Union partners, and global actors.
Arop Deng, Lead of the Integration and Support Team and Officer in Charge of daily matters at the IPPC Secretariat, was among the panelists in a conversation on international perspectives of the NPPO. His presentation focused on the history of the IPPC, the role of NPPOs in delivering the IPPC’s mission and the value of international collaboration to protect plant health. Other panelists were Claire Bury, Deputy Director-General, Health and Food Safety at the European Commission and Nico Horn, Director-General of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) .
Other speakers included Thorwald Geuze, Vice Chair of the IPPC’s Implementation and Capacity Development Committee (IC) and Senior Plant Health Officer at the NPPO of the Netherlands, Corne van Alphen, Director of the NPPO, Emeritus Professor Martin Kropff, Supervisory Board Chair of CropXR and technical offices from the NPPO.
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