International Day of Plant Health 2023: Theme, History, Significance and Quotes to Share

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PLANT HEALTH 2023: Plants provide 98 percent of the oxygen we breathe, 80 percent of food we consume, the fibres for our clothes and other lifestyle items. They give shelter to countless birds and other living beings. Yet, as per the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), around 40 percent food crops get damaged annually due to diseases and pests.

Climate change is also having an adverse impact on plants. Rural agricultural communities are the most affected by this food security issue. Maintaining or ensuring good health of plants is vital for the survival of mankind and other life. International Day of Plant Health is celebrated globally on May 12 to highlight these very facts. Below, we will look at the theme, history and significance of the day, and share relevant quotes.

International Day of Plant Health 2023: Theme

The theme of this year’s celebration of International Day of Plant Health is “Plant Health for Environmental Protection,” as mentioned on the IPPC website. The IPPC is a 1951 multilateral treaty overseen by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) which formulates action plans to prevent and control the introduction and spread of pests of plants and plant products.

International Day of Plant Health 2023: History

International Day of Plant Health was established in 2022 by the United Nations. The idea was promoted by Zambia and then adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly. Bolivia, Finland, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania were co-signatories to the resolution. The day is deemed a “key legacy of the International Year of Plant Health.”

International Day of Plant Health 2023: Significance

As per the UN resolution taken, protecting plant health is vital to the sustainable development of agriculture required to feed a growing global population by 2050. International Day of Plant Health helps raise global awareness of this issue so that poverty can be reduced, hunger can end, and economic development can be enganced, while protecting biodiversity as well.

International Day of Plant Health 2023: Quotes

1. “Plants do not speak, but their silence is alive with change.” – May Sarton, Plant Dreaming Deep
2. “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir
3. “In some Native languages the term for plants translates to “those who take care of us.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass.