The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched an updated guide to implementation of phytosanitary standards in forestry, including good practices for forest health protection to help reduce the human-facilitated spread of forest pests and their impacts. Source: Timberbiz
The FAO publication uses plain language to describe a wide range of phytosanitary concepts and recommended practices to national and regional governments and industry stakeholders in the forest sector, including International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures.
Originally published in 2011, this second edition of the guide includes an overview of new and revised standards and updated phytosanitary information and guidance that is relevant to the forest sector.
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures provide guidance to countries and governments in meeting their obligations to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), an intergovernmental treaty relating to plant health, and are designed to harmonize phytosanitary measures for the purpose of facilitating international trade whilst preventing pest introduction and spread. They are crucial for safeguarding forests against the introduction and spread of harmful pests and diseases.
“This updated guide will provide forest policymakers, planners, managers and workers with the knowledge and guidance they need to reduce the risk of pest spread in international trade and help protect forests and the livelihoods of forest-dependent people,” said Zhimin Wu, Director of FAO’s Forestry Division.
A combination of climate change and expanding global trade and travel has enabled the rapid introduction and spread of pests, putting forests at greater risk than ever.
For example, pine wood nematode has caused significant damage to native pine forests in China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, with the Korea Forest Service reporting the loss of 12 million pine trees due to the nematode between 1988 and 2022.
Similarly catastrophic is the Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) one of the world’s top 100 most invasive alien species. It is predicted that, without phytosanitary measures, the Asian long-horned beetle and the citrus long-horned beetle (Anoplophora chinensis) could cause damage totalling about EUR 85 billion and a loss of 30% of the hardwood forest area in the European Union
The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures, the governing body of the IPPC, has adopted 13 new International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures relevant to forests and the forest sector since the first edition of the guide, all of which are included in this second edition to ensure the guide’s continued relevance and effectiveness.
In addition to presenting good practices for forest health protection, the guide also includes examples of forest pest introductions and their impacts around the world to better illustrate the threat they pose as well as setting out steps towards a healthier future for our forests.
