Plants are the foundation of all life on Earth. They provide food, oxygen and shelter that keep humans, animals and all life forms in our world alive. But their health is often threatened by plant pests and diseases, which are making their way to new places, mainly because of climate change, international trade and travel.
This year, on the occasion of the International Year of Plant Health 2020, we are calling on children aged 5 to 13 around the world to get creative and show us what protecting plant health means to them!
The children of today are the citizens of tomorrow and our actions as parents, guardians or educators will help them to become responsible citizens. We need to educate our future generations about the importance of keeping plants healthy and protecting our natural resources from pests and diseases.
Did you know that a swarm of small locusts can eat the same amount of food in one day that thousands of people eat throughout a year? You can find lots of interesting facts in our Activity Book for children and get some inspiration for the drawing competition. Discover just how much our lives and our planet depend on healthy plants and find out how each of us can help to protect them!
The jury of the IYPH art and drawing competition for children is composed of the following FAO and IPPC Secretariat members: Riccardo Angela, Arop Deng, John Gilmore, Sara Giuliani, Viivi Kuvaja, Riccardo Mazzucchelli, Mirko Montuori, Natalie Nicora, and Paola Sentinelli.
Winners - Kids category
First Prize
Waziha Tanaz Chowdhury
Ways of Protecting Plant Health
"The artwork shows how plant pests destroy our food. It also suggests some possible ways of protecting plant health. A good research can identify different features of pests through what we can take measures accordingly. In addition, we can take protection and caution in sea ports and airports as we know that passengers and their luggage carry pests and insects from one country to another."
Second Prize
Taarinee Gupta
Insects: Blessings or Curse
"In this painting I have tried to show that insects are both a blessing as well as disguise."
Third Prize
Xiyan Qin
Bamboo locust, go fast
"One day, Panda Panpan was playing happily by the pond. Suddenly a group of terrible bamboo locusts appeared in the sky. These greedy insects almost ate up the bamboo leaves. Panpan cried sadly while watching the gnawed bamboo leaves. Up!"
Winners - Pre-teens category
First Prize
Shu-Yen (Coco) Yeh
AI-connected mini self-driving cars keep ecological vitality
"Due to climate change, travel and international trade, plant ecology is in danger more than ever! It is vital for all to recognize the problem and take actions to protect plants. As a student in love with Science, I hope to design and make many AI-connected mini self-driving cars that constantly report threats (pests, diseases and flame), gather plant and ecological data in woods, and return them to the headquarters for genetic analysis and archiving. If necessary, the AI system will be used to regenerate the forest. Make it ecological vitality!"
Second Prize
Kingston Sheng-Juei Tsai
Cicada
"The setting of the cicada has functions to prevent plants from getting hurt. Firstly, using its eyes and satellites, it prevents the main plant from getting damaged by planting other plants the pest likes more. For example, the armyworm feeds on maize but also prefers rice. In this situation, it can plant rice next to the maize, so the armyworm won't feed on the maize so much. Secondly, with the powerful lights from the head of the Cicada, it can shine the light on the pests and the pests will possibly die. Thirdly, it can create a high-pitched sound from its abdomen that prevents the breeding and laying of eggs. Fourth, The Cicada can educate on how to plant different high-quality crops in lower-developed countries. This setting of the Cicada creates a balance between plants and an eco-environment".
Third Prize
Fernanda Rocío Zapata Gallardo
Keep calm and grow a bit
My drawing is about a caregiver doing a daily review of plants in a greenhouse, while taking notes of their progress on a tablet. I took a literal and simple concept for my illustration regarding a graphical perspective of "Plant Health ".
Honorable mentions – Kids category
Neha Thekkumpurath
We all can be the Plant Health Saviors
"Plant bacteria, viruses and insects are roaming around to attack the plants. Plants cannot walk or run away from pests and diseases. Like plants are our friends providing food, shelter and other things to us, we have to become Human friends of plants and save the plants from insects and diseases. We all can be Plant doctors, the plant health saviors."
Rana Hassan
Polluted environment, clean environment
"Pollution has a severely threatening effect on plants, badly for all other creatures, as plants are the number one product on Earth!"
Sheha Thekkumpurath
Healthy Plant, Healthy Planet
"When the plant is healthy, it gives life to many insects and animals keeping them healthy. The environment will be clean with good air and plant collects and stores carbon dioxide which reduce temperature. Plant gives shelter for other plants, birds, insects. Healthy plants as part of food cycle like Carnivorous plants eating pests and insects. Plant is in the centre point of biological cycles and thus healthy plant means healthy planet."
Atrin Afshari tavana
Plant protection, world protection
"We must protect the plants so that the whole world is beautiful and happy".
Shreya V. Samudrala
Little Guardians
"The artwork depicts that the young generation can form a human chain against plant enemies (both pests and humans) and keep plants healthy."
Guste Cesnauskaite
Insect parasite
"Insect that parasites plants".
Riaan Mashruwala
Protecting plant health
"I have shown factors affecting plant health and how we can protect them. Healthy plants means healthy us."
Honorable mentions – Pre-teens
Monojit Maity
Healthy plant makes healthy planet
"Healthy plants make the planet healthy. Almost every living elements are directly or indirectly dependent on trees or plants. We should take care of plants to make them healthy".
Beāte Gribute
Plant life
"In the drawing you can see how people plant and care for plants, talk to them, embrace and protect them. Just as they care about people."
Akshaya Padmakrishnan
Plant Health in our Hands Only
"Trees helps to clean the air, soil and water, making the Earth a beautiful livable place. Living close to trees makes us healthier and happier. It’s time to SAVE trees, protect forests and spread awareness. If you want to save trees, you can help by protecting those that grow around your home, and planting more Trees. Plants are the lungs of our Earth."
Kasia TYC
CARE
"We children know how to look after plants all over the world. Do you know that plants like what we read to them and we choose them? We are helped by various organisms and our great friend the Sun."
Laryn Au
Wishing Tree
"I wish people in the world can love plants and put their actions and efforts in protecting plants. I draw my wish on the "Wishing Tree"."
You Gi LAU
We are plant lovers
"Throughout the past few years, global warming and climate change has been aggravating, direly affecting the health of plants. Moreover, the decrease of beneficial insects has also caused the number of pests to rise, contributing to the deterioration of plant health. In order to ease the catastrophe, in the picture, you can see many people using different ways to diminish pests, support plant growths, nourishing plants, and also people being educated about the knowledge of plants. In the background, you can see a cluster of technologies which are helping the plants, such as windmills and solar panels. Therefore if we act as mentioned above, I believe that plants will overcome climate's disasters, and thrive, as depicted in the foreground."
Anahita Afshari tavana
Happiness in nature
"Plants are a gift from God on Earth. Every plant is a soul that blooms in nature."