Male farmer checking for pest infestations. Credit: CABI

Previous Next

Project Overview

So, what’s the problem

In the past, African countries have focused on improving phytosanitary regulations and policy to strengthen plant health.

At a regional level, the AU Plant Health Strategy (2022 to 2036) envisions a robust, practical management system to produce healthy plants for all Africans and a mission to strengthen national plant health systems and ensure food and nutrition security and improved safe trade.

To achieve this, it emphasizes the importance of shared responsibilities, collaboration, and robust monitoring and evaluation to achieve a sustainable plant health system in Africa.

However, there are gaps and challenges in phytosanitary research in Africa. These include limited funding and resources, and an inadequate research infrastructure. There is also a need for greater collaboration and coordination among stakeholders in areas such as weak phytosanitary regulatory frameworks, early warning and preparedness for invasive pest species and their management, climate change, and limited technologies for diagnosing plant health challenges.

The establishment of global plant health research coordination takes time and resources. But these resource requirements can be reduced by building on the regional experience gained and integrating existing networks into a global structure.

The European Phytosanitary Research Coordination (Euphresco) network was developed to play the role of a platform for international coordination of phytosanitary research and funding, aimed at reducing the fragmentation and minimizing duplication of national and regional research activities.

What is this project doing?

As Euphresco is largely viewed as a European coordination structure with a few non-European members included, the need for a global research coordination network has been identified by the phytosanitary authorities in many countries.

By building on the foundations developed by the Euphresco network, the EUPHRESCO III project aims to enhance national and regional phytosanitary research coordination. It will set the foundations for global phytosanitary research coordination through fit-for-purpose activities of multiple organizations that have a long history of coordinating plant health in their region.

The EUPHRESCO III project intends to enhance processes and mechanisms to facilitate international collaboration on common plant health research priorities, and to increase communication on national and regional plant health research activities and their outputs. Increased collaboration and communication will result in better-coordinated actions among those who perform research and use research outputs to improve the plant health system. As part of this project, CABI and other project partners will coordinate the tasks focusing on guiding national, regional and global research funding.

CABI, as a regional champion for Africa, will undertake surveys and collate phytosanitary research topics in Africa. CABI will also develop a regional phytosanitary strategic agenda for Africa and contribute to the global phytosanitary research strategic agenda.

Additionally, CABI’s Global Agricultural Research Archive (GARA) will be used to disseminate Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards information, including content from journal articles, workshop and conference proceedings, success stories and case stories from joint projects, and research reports and publications.