Trade, movement of agricultural goods and travel as drivers of emergence of plant and animal pests and diseases including zoonotic spillover

11 May 2026 | 12:00-13:20 CEST | Online

The emergence and re-emergence of high impact animal and plant pests and diseases pose a continuous risk to global and national food security and biosecurity systems. Recent threats such as African swine fever, avian influenza, banana Fusarium wilt disease (TR4) and fall armyworm highlight the urgent need to better understand the role of trade, movement of agricultural goods, and travel in pest and disease dynamics.

This webinar will:

• highlight the interconnectedness of global trade, movement of agricultural goods, including seeds, propagation materials, products and human mobility with the biosecurity and emergence and spread of plant and animal insect pests and pathogens. 
• emphasize the role of the trade, including that of wildlife, in creating pathways for zoonotic spillover, which can lead to pandemics. 
• facilitate a discussion on proactive, upstream disease prevention strategies. 
• promote the development of effective strategies for disease prevention, surveillance, and control. 
• stress the importance of safeguarding agricultural sectors and ensuring global food security. 

The webinar is part of FAO’s Community of Practice on drivers of emerging plant and animal pests and diseases.

Register