Think before buying plants or insects online

People around the world have become accustomed to using e-commerce for convenience, especially during the coronavirus disease (COVID 19) pandemic. However, many of them may not be aware that regulated plants and items, such as agricultural products, that are bought or sold online can carry pests and diseases that can harm a country’s flora.

As an example of what can happen, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations tells the story of Emily*, who two years ago unexpectedly received a package in her hometown of Christchurch, New Zealand. Her 12-year-old daughter had bought insect eggs online without her knowing.

“My daughter has always liked insects. She has gone through various stages of being fond of sea creatures, ants and various insects,” Emily noted.

“But I didn’t expect to receive packages during the lockdown, so I got worried. My daughter, who dreams of becoming an entomologist, told me that she had bought insect eggs online from Portugal. She wanted to hatch them and keep them as a pet,” she added.

Wary of the potential risks of the eggs, Emily and her husband called a friend who advised them to contact the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries.

fast acting

“When we receive a notification, we have an obligation to contact [con el autor de esta] within 30 minutes. We spoke to the mother and told her that we had to remove the eggs to mitigate any risk.said Carolyn Bleach, director of the plant health team for biosecurity surveillance and incursion investigation at the Ministry of Primary Industries.

The Ministry team instructed Emily to carefully open the package, take pictures, then put it in the fridge overnight, then drop it in her mailbox the next morning.

The next day, a researcher collected the eggs from Emily’s house and brought them to the Phytosanitary and Environmental Laboratory. in order to identify them and check if they posed any risk.

After carrying out the corresponding diagnostic tests, the Ministry found out that they were 14 viable Indian stick insect eggs. Although certain species of stick insect are relatively common in New Zealand, the Carausius morosus, which was the insect found in Emily’s package, has no presence in the country and is not allowed to be imported as it may harm local biodiversity.

The risk

“If it were to settle here, it could affect our local flora and displace endemic fauna.but it could also impact our primary industries,” Bleach said.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), New Zealand is one of the leading producers and exporters of fresh produce, such as kiwi, apple and avocado, with a total export value of agricultural and livestock products of US$4.5 billion in 2021.

The pests can be present not only on the plants, but also in the soil of imported plants, in untreated wood packaging, in seeds, or in articles made of wood, such as handicrafts, furniture, and planks.

Plant pests and diseases can travel across borders by traditional mail, courier systems, as well as air or sea transport. Without an import phytosanitary certificate, which is intended to verify that items are free of pests or diseases, there is a great risk of pests being introduced and spreading to new areas.

When plant pests settle on a new site, eradicating them becomes very expensive and almost impossible to do. Every year up to 40% of agricultural crop yields are lost due to pests of plants with losses of up to 220,000 million dollars in agricultural trade.

Protect the world’s plants

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) was established to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests and diseases. The IPPC, housed at FAO, is the only international treaty body created to protect plant health. Ratified by 184 countries, the convention helps prevent the introduction of harmful pests into territories, protect plants and facilitate safe trade by setting international standards and supporting countries to apply them.

These international standards also prevent pests and diseases from being transported across borders. The IPPC International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) represent the gold standard in plant health in helping countries establish their national phytosanitary legislation and import requirements. These standards serve as a guide for governments in the implementation of phytosanitary programs and activities, ranging from pest surveillance to pest risk analysis in a specific area to signal the detection of significant pests and establish eradication programs. .

Adoption of the convention and standards not only helps simplify trade in safe plants, but also increases crop productivity and ultimately contributes to global food security. Protecting plant health also means protecting the environment and biodiversity.

Raise awareness about plant health

As the stick insect eggs were unwanted organisms in New Zealand, the Department for Primary Industries destroyed them and informed Emily of the identification of the alien species. Emily explained to her daughter that, in the future, understanding the possible broader repercussions of her actions and “thinking before you click” was the best policy.

Raising awareness about this type of phytosanitary risk is essential to prevent pests from crossing borders and settling in new areas. In addition to raising awareness of the importance of plant health, the IPPC also works with national plant protection organizations so that they can apply regulations that protect importation.

Widespread damage to plant health, the environment, and economies can be prevented by alerting people to the potential risks of buying items online, along with swift intervention by authorities. Being aware of what it means to bring plants from international travel, as well as understanding the risks of online trade in unregulated items, are practical ways that people can help protect the world’s plants and countries’ biodiversity.

Healthy plants mean healthy lives for everyone.

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of the person.