8 April 2016: The eleventh annual meeting of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM 11), the Governing Body of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), discussed, among other issues, phytosanitary standards for the management and treatment of plant pests and pathogens as well as risks relating to plant pest introduction through sea shipping containers. Held under the theme ‘Plant Health for Food Security,’ CPM 11 highlighted the role of plant pest management and phytosanitary measures for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal to “end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture” (SDG 2).

In his address to the meeting, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Deputy Director General Daniel Gustafson underlined the contribution of the IPPC and its Governing Body to preserving biodiversity, reducing harvest losses and facilitating international trade.

Under its mandate to establish and review international phytosanitary standards, CPM 11 discussed standards relating to the determination of the host status of fruit flies and methods of treatment for several plant pests. Delegates also reviewed progress on capacity building and considered the results of the pilot testing phase of the online phytosanitary certification system, ‘e-phyto,’ established at the CPM’s last session.

During a special session, participants discussed risks associated with the movement of sea shipping containers and how these risks could be addressed through a new standard on minimizing pest movement by sea containers.

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is an international plant health agreement, hosted by FAO. It aims to protect cultivated and wild plants by preventing the introduction and spread of pests. CPM 11 was held 4-8 April 2016, at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. [FAO Press Release] [CPM 11 Website] [Webcast of the Opening Session]