FAO CONFERENCE 40TH SESSION - Side Event

This event is sponsored by the South Africa, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.

Fall Army Worm is a well‐ known pest in South America that has recently spread to Africa. It first appeared in West Africa in January 2016 and by early this year it attacked Maize crops in southern Africa. It has now spread to East Africa and is expected to have an impact on their coming harvests. Ghana has declared a state of emergency. The worm is spreading rapidly across Africa and has the potential to spread beyond Africa to Asia. As with climate change, it is difficult to predict with any certainty how the pest will spread.

The aim of this side Event is to raise awareness of the pest among Agriculture ministers and others attending the FAO Conference. The more information they have the better able they will be to prepare for the possible spread of the pest to their country. The event will also be an opportunity to learn more about FAO’s response.

Moderated by Terry Sarch, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the UK to FAO.

Panel

Daniel J. Gustafson, Deputy Director-General, Programmes, FAO.

Bukar Tijani, Assistant Director-General, Regional Representative for Africa, FAO.

H.E. Senzeni Zokwana, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa.

H.E. Joseph Mtakwese Made, Minister for Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Zimbabwe.

H.E. George Oduro, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Ghana.

Fernando Hercos Valiente, Researcher, Embrapa, Brazil.

Donal Brown, Director, DFID Africa.

Hans Dreyer, Director, Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO.

Discussion.