The United Nations (UN) has designated 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH), establishing a year to recognize and protect plant health. Designating the year as such is expected to increase awareness among both the public and policymakers of the importance of healthy plants and the necessity of protecting them to achieve sustainable development goals. An International Plant Health Conference will be among thousands of plant health events to be held globally throughout 2020.

You can participate in several ways:

• Engage your community. Spread the word about the impact plants have on our lives and the importance of plant health in ending hunger, reducing poverty, protecting the environment, and boosting economic development.
  • Use the hashtag #PlantHealth when sharing your research stories.
  • The European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization will be organizing specific events throughout the year. You can find more information at their IYPH website.
  • The American Phytopathological Society is developing an IYPH toolkit that will include infographics and ideas for community engagement. In addition, APS is asking for volunteers to record short videos or podcasts that highlight the efforts of scientists to improve plant health. For more information, visit the APS IYPH website.
• ​Submit human interest stories. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is asking for stories about plant health. FAO is looking for help identifying first-hand stories that show at least one of the following:
  • How someone has contributed to plant health
  • The damage caused by plant pests and diseases
  • How plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, or boost economic development

The deadline to submit a story is February 15, 2020. Submission instructions and more information can be found on the FAO website.

• Submit your photos to a contest. Submit photos that illustrate your idea of healthy or unhealthy plants. Each participant can submit up to five photos. The deadline to submit photos is June 15, 2020. See more details.
• ​​​​​Attend an event—virtually or in person. Hundreds of events are being organized worldwide to promote the IYPH. More event information is available online.

Visit the UN FAO website to learn more. Watch the official launch event for IYPH, which was held in Rome on December 2, 2019. Download the official IYPH brochure, which is available in all the official UN languages.