The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today 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.
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.
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