Biotech Updates

IPPC Celebrates 60th Anniversary

April 4, 2012

April 3, 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), a treaty established to help prevent the spread of plant pests and diseases across international boundaries via trade. The Convention consists of 177 Member countries, each of which maintains a National Plant Protection Organization.

"In today's globalized era, the task of preventing plant pests and diseases from spreading while facilitating rather than impeding trade is both more complex and more important than ever," said Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva, "especially since warmer temperatures due to climate change are expected to both encourage the spread of pests into new areas as well as render some plants more susceptible to their effects."

IPPC promotes the use of science-based, internationally-agreed standards governing how plants and plant products should be handled during international trade. It also acts as an information  exchange hub on status of agricultural pests and new developments in plant protection and risk management.

The Food and Agriculture Organization press release is at http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/131114/icode/.