Defra and Forestry Commission launch new biosecurity strategy
Earlier this week Defra, in partnership with the Forestry Commission and the Scottish and Welsh Governments, launched a 5-year vision for plant health. Together with an action plan to secure national biosecurity, protect native species and drive economic growth, the strategy also features thought-provoking facts which warn the industry and public about the risk associated with pests and disease.
Research conducted as part of the strategy has revealed plants provide an annual value of £15.7 billion to the United Kingdom. The infographic below, released as part of the strategy, highlights how this figure has been generated and the relevance of plants to a wide range of stakeholders – and not just those in the landscape or horticulture industry who work with plants.
In their strategy, the Government has sought to highlight the risk of pests and diseases eroding this benefit derived from plants.
Together with a list of pests and diseases which have already affected the landscape and horticulture industries (e.g., ash dieback, dead elm disease) the strategy also highlights the potential future risk to food production and recreation in the UK posed by ineffectual biosecurity.
The strategy has 4 outcomes which aim to drive change in society and industry:
- A world-class biosecurity regime
- A society that values healthy plants
- A bio-secure plant supply chain
- An enhanced technical capability
This strategy acts as a precursor to new government-led systems and initiatives due to be launched in the future. Significantly for the industry, details of the Target Operating Model – the process by which plants and plant materials are imported – are due to be released later this year and will replace the current Place of Destination (PoD) scheme.
Whilst good biosecurity has long since been recognised as good practice by the landscape and horticulture industries, domestic consumers have been overlooked. This ambitious strategy has the potential to unify the behaviour of the public and trade, and ensure the UK is better protected from future threats.