Plants are under constant attack from invasive pests. These pests can severely damage crops, forests, and other natural resources that people depend on. Every year, they cause billions of dollars of losses in crops and trade revenue, in addition to expensive eradication efforts. They are most often spread by people, especially through international travel and trade.

Despite declining resources for plant health protection services, international, regional, and national plant health organisations continue in their efforts to protect plants.

Plant health protection agencies are helping to address a number of critically important issues, both locally and globally.

By protecting plant health from invasive pests, they are helping to increase food security, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development, especially in low- and middle-income countries where agriculture is a primary industry.