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Published on
24.04.25
Photo credit: CGIAR
On May 12, CGIAR joins global partners in celebrating the International Day of Plant Health, highlighting the vital role of plants in sustaining life on Earth and the urgent need to protect them from increasing threats.
In a world facing accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity, plant health is more than a scientific concern: it’s a cornerstone of resilient food systems, community wellbeing, and planetary health.
Plant health under threat
Plant health is human health; it’s climate health; it’s our collective future. Healthy plants are the quiet allies in our fight against hunger, climate change, and biodiversity loss.
They make up 80% of the food we eat and produce 98% of the oxygen we breathe. Yet, they are under constant threat. Every year, up to 40% of global food crops are lost to pests and diseases, costing the global economy more than USD 220 billion.
Photo credit: The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT
The world’s food supply relies on approximately 150 plant species, with just 12 providing three-quarters of our food, highlighting the importance of plant diversity for food security. Climate change is accelerating the spread of plant pests and diseases, while land degradation, trade expansion, and biodiversity loss increase the vulnerability of ecosystems to outbreaks.
Photo credit: The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT
CGIAR’s approach to plant health
At CGIAR, protecting plant health begins with safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring equitable access to plant genetic resources. Our approach emphasizes integrated, science-based solutions—spanning from conservation to innovation—ensuring a resilient, inclusive food system.
Over the years, CGIAR’s plant‐health portfolio has evolved, branching into different directions and areas of research. Now, the Genebanks Accelerator will bring these strands together—integrating conservation, policy, health, and digital engagement—to transform our germplasm collections into a proactive, accessible bulwark against mounting threats to global food security.
Photo credit: The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT
Introducing the Genebanks Accelerator
CGIAR’s bold new platform supercharges plant-health science and innovation by unleashing the power of crop diversity. Anchored in decades of research, it combines advanced analytics, AI-driven tools, and seamless user access to anticipate, manage, and outpace emerging agricultural challenges.
The eleven CGIAR genebanks are custodians of the world’s most diverse publicly available crop collections, conserving more than 700,000 accessions of over 3,000 plant species. Under the terms of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, these resources are freely shared with researchers, breeders, local communities, and farmers, helping users develop local solutions for more resilient and sustainable agriculture.
“We conserve it not for the sake of conservation; we conserve it, so [it becomes] the food for this generation and future generations.”
Marie Noelle Ndjiondjop, Rice Biodiversity Center for Africa
Key focus areas of the accelerator include:
- Biodiversity Conservation: Maintain and safeguard a rich, high-quality collection of plant germplasm—whether as seeds, in vitro cultures, cryopreserved material, or in-field collections—and make both samples and accompanying data broadly accessible.
- Strategic User Engagement: Boost awareness and use of genebank holdings by working closely with researchers and breeders, building AI-driven tools to streamline accession selection, and upgrading digital platforms for easier discovery and ordering.
- Genetic Resources Policy: Shape and inform global policies on conservation, access-and-benefit-sharing (ABS), digital sequence information (DSI), and farmers’ rights; represent CGIAR in international arenas and help partners navigate evolving legal frameworks.
- Germplasm Health: Ensure safe germplasm exchange through phytosanitary compliance, cutting-edge diagnostics and disease-management protocols, and close cooperation with national plant-protection agencies.
- Strengthening Capacity: Build skills, networks and communities of practice across genebanks, phytosanitary bodies and policy institutions through hands-on training and regional collaboration.
“We assure that these materials can go back to the farmers, free of diseases, so they can continue conserving it in situ and using this diversity that has been so important for them for the past decades and centuries.”
Vania Azevedo, Biodiversity Science Goal Leader and Genebank Head, CIP
At CGIAR, we recognize that protecting plant health is fundamental to achieving food and nutrition security, climate resilience, and sustainable development. That’s why we’re investing in integrated, science-based solutions that address plant health from multiple angles—combining innovation, partnerships, and a One Health perspective.
Center-led innovation in plant health
Across CGIAR, research centers are advancing plant health through diverse, locally grounded approaches.
For example, CIFOR-ICRAF scientists, in collaboration with FAO and other partners, employ advanced spectral diagnostics to accurately assess soil and plant health. ICRISAT is strengthening seed systems and crop protection, and recently launched a Plant Health Detector App that helps farmers identify crop diseases using their smartphones.
Credits: CGIAR
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is applying agrobiodiversity research to support sustainable and integrated pest management, such as training Ugandan farmers to use diverse bean and banana varieties to combat diseases, collaborating with Indian communities to mainstream native crops and strengthen local seed systems, and developing the Tumaini app, which enables farmers to detect and manage crop diseases in bananas and beans using smartphone-based diagnostics.
CIMMYT leads initiatives like the Accelerating Genetic Gains in Maize and Wheat (AGG) project, which enhances breeding efficiency through early germplasm access in South Asia, and the Wheat Disease Early Warning Advisory System (DEWAS), providing near-real-time, model-based risk forecasts to help farmers proactively manage threats like rust and blast diseases.
Credits: The Alliance of Bioversity & CIAT
Partnerships that protect and empower
Protecting plant health is not just about preventing loss—it’s about creating opportunities. Our work is deeply rooted in collaboration, with farmers, policymakers, researchers, and private sector actors all playing key roles.
Whether it’s delivering early warning systems for pest outbreaks, co-developing climate-resilient varieties, or empowering farmers with sustainable pest management practices and guidelines, CGIAR is committed to ensuring locally relevant, scalable solutions.
Credits: Neil Palmer / CCAFS
This International Day of Plant Health, join us in growing a more resilient future
On May 12 and beyond, let’s commit to protecting the world’s plants. Not only because they feed us, but because they sustain ecosystems, livelihoods, and hope for future generations.
Credits: CGIAR
Explore how CGIAR is advancing plant health science and innovation to build a healthier, greener future for all:
Plant health is a key part of CGIAR’s 2025–2030 Research Portfolio. Protecting plant health as a foundation for global food and nutrition security contributes to a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food system.
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Credits: CGIAR
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