The Plant Health 4 Life campaign is back for its fourth and final year, continuing a shared effort by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Commission and 33 countries − including Malta, through the participation of the Food Safety and Security Authority within the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights.
Since its launch, the campaign has focused on how closely plant health is linked to daily life – from what we eat, to how we travel, garden and shop. In this final year, Plant Health 4 Life builds on that momentum, encouraging people across Europe to stay informed, spread the word and take simple actions that help protect plants, the environment and the economy.
“Plant Health 4 Life is built on a key principle: awareness empowers action. In this final year, the campaign reinforces how protecting plant health means safeguarding our food, our environment and our future,” said Sylvain Giraud, head of the Plant Health Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety.
“By engaging citizens across Europe, the campaign has laid strong foundations that will continue to support efforts to protect plants well beyond the campaign itself,” he added.
Tobin Robinson, head of the Environment, Plants and Ecotoxicology Unit at EFSA, further explained: “Science helps us understand the risks to plant health, but that’s not enough: we need Europeans to connect that knowledge to their daily lives. Plant Health 4 Life makes plant health accessible and relevant. By travelling responsibly, shopping responsibly and educating the next generation, we can all be part of the solution
Anthemis Melifronidou, chief officer for Plant Health of Cyprus noted that hosting the launch of the campaign during the Cyprus presidency, together with chief officers for Plant Health from across Europe, “highlights how plant health is a shared European responsibility”.
“Simple actions by citizens, supported by strong cooperation across countries, help protect our plants and our future,” he said.
How does plant health affect our lives?
Plants make up 80% of the food we eat, feed the animals we raise for food, and clean the air we breathe. But that’s not all: healthy plants mean good agricultural yield, which impacts food availability and food prices for consumers.
Climate change and human activities, such as trade and travel put plants under heavy pressure. The spread of plant pests and diseases can have devastating economic and environmental consequences.
For example, the pine wood nematode is a microscopic worm that can quickly kill pine trees and devastate forests. Until 1999, it was never detected in the EU. First introduced in Portugal, it is now present also in parts of Spain and has recently been detected in France.
To stop it spreading, EU rules require all at-risk trees (mainly pines) within a 500-metre radius of an outbreak to be cut down and destroyed, with major economic and environmental impact, especially in regions with large pine forests.
Spread the word and get involved
The actions of every European are key to keeping plants healthy. One may visit the #PlantHealth4 Life campaign website for more information on how to safeguard plant health. Resources include press materials, social media posts and videos.
The campaign is open to everyone, with a particular focus on:
• Curious travellers who love exploring the world and nature;’
• Gardeners who grow and take care of vegetables, flowers and trees at home; and
• Parents who are concerned about the food their children eat, and are eager to protect the environment and biodiversity for future generations.
About the campaign
#PlantHealth4Life is a multi-year campaign developed at the request of the European Commission. It is based on an in-depth analysis of citizen perceptions and behaviour with respect to plant health across the EU.
The campaign continues to extend its scope and reach, covering 33 countries:
EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Pre-accession countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, and Türkiye, and Switzerland.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
