Science-led plant health governance to secure food systems and advance the SDGs
GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — From 2-6 November 2025, the 2nd ISPB Symposium gathered more than 250 experts from 18 countries to confront one of the most persistent threats to global food systems: transboundary plant pests and diseases. Co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and CAB International (CABI), and co-organized by the Institute of Plant Protection, CAAS (IPPCAAS), Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GDAAS) and South China Agricultural University, the symposium focused on translating cutting-edge science into scalable solutions that strengthen global efforts on Zero Hunger, Climate Action, and Life on Land.
Participants emphasized that plant health is foundational to resilient, nature-positive food systems. Pests and diseases account for 20-40% of annual crop losses, driving over USD 220 billion in global economic damage. Against this backdrop, ISPB 2025 showcased 56 plenary and technical talks on early-warning surveillance networks, interoperable data standards, AI-enabled diagnostics, and green/biological control that reduce chemical dependence while safeguarding biodiversity. Sessions highlighted risk-informed governance, open data, and South–South collaboration as accelerators for field deployment and impact.
As one of the co-organizers, IPPCAAS positioned ISPB as a global hub where research excellence meets coordinated standards and capacity building-linking national programs with regional platforms along key trade and migratory pest corridors. The symposium also delivered concrete cooperation steps: the 30th anniversary of China–CABI scientific collaboration; the launch of the BRI International Alliance of Science and Technology Innovation in Plant Protection to harmonize surveillance and knowledge-sharing, and the side event on Transboundary Biosafety Cooperation between China and neighboring countries to enhance regional prevention and response to biosafety threats.
The ISPB Symposium underscored a shared commitment to science-based, risk-aware plant health governance-from interoperable monitoring to responsible control tools and skills transfer. CAAS, IPPCAAS, and global partners will continue to expand regional early-warning networks, advance green control technologies, and invest in training and institutional capacity, helping countries meet their SDG targets while protecting livelihoods, trade, and ecosystems.
About ISPB: The International Symposium on Plant Biosafety (ISPB) is the biennial flagship convening curated by IPPCAAS and partners to accelerate science, standards, and solutions for plant health and global food security.
This content was prepared by our news partner, Cision PR Newswire. The opinions and the content published on this page are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Siam News Network
