Guangzhou symposium spotlights science-led governance to combat transboundary plant pests
From 2 to 6 November 2025, the city of Guangzhou, China, hosted the 2nd International Symposium on Plant Biosafety (ISPB), an important forum bringing together over 250 experts from 18 countries. Co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and CAB International (CABI), the event focused on addressing the critical and ongoing threat that transboundary plant pests and diseases pose to global food systems. The symposium’s overarching theme centred on deploying science-led governance frameworks aimed at securing food systems while advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Zero Hunger, Climate Action, and Life on Land.
Plant health was underscored as a foundational element in building resilient and nature-positive food systems. It was highlighted that crop losses due to pests and diseases range between 20% and 40% annually, causing economic damages exceeding USD 220 billion worldwide. Throughout the symposium, researchers and policymakers presented 56 plenary and technical sessions showcasing advances such as early-warning surveillance networks, AI-enabled diagnostics, interoperable data standards, and environmentally sustainable pest control measures like green and biological controls. These sessions also stressed the importance of risk-informed governance, open data accessibility, and South–South partnerships to foster wider and faster implementation of innovative solutions at field level.
The Institute of Plant Protection at CAAS (IPPCAAS) played a pivotal role in positioning the ISPB as a global nexus connecting research excellence with harmonized standards and capacity building. This facilitates linking national programmes with regional platforms that are critical along trade and migratory pest corridors. The symposium also marked milestones such as the 30th anniversary of the China–CABI scientific collaboration and the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) International Alliance of Science and Technology Innovation in Plant Protection. This alliance seeks to harmonise plant pest surveillance and encourage knowledge sharing. A dedicated side event focused on enhancing transboundary biosafety cooperation between China and neighbouring countries, underscoring the urgency of coordinated regional responses to biosafety threats.
Supplementing these efforts, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) continues to provide comprehensive monitoring, early warning, and management support for transboundary plant pests and diseases (TPPDs). Recognising these migratory pests as significant threats to global food security, trade, and livelihoods, FAO advises member states on effective management strategies to control their spread. Its approach emphasises prevention, early action, and long-term sustainable solutions, including ecological pest control methods and innovative, environmentally sound strategies. FAO further promotes international cooperation and information sharing as vital to curbing the impact of TPPDs, reinforcing the efforts highlighted during the ISPB Symposium.
The collective commitment expressed at ISPB 2025 reflects a global recognition that science-based, risk-aware governance is indispensable for protecting plant health. Moving forward, CAAS, IPPCAAS, and their partners plan to bolster regional early-warning systems, advance green pest control technologies, and increase investments in training and institutional capacity. These coordinated actions aim not only to safeguard livelihoods, trade, and ecosystems but also to help countries meet their Sustainable Development Goals, thereby ensuring a future of resilient and secure food systems worldwide.