Jamaica has been commended by regional and international organisations for launching the International Year of the Plant Health (IYPH), becoming the first country in the Caribbean to join the global movement.
The United Nations observance under the theme: ‘Protecting Plant Protecting Life,’ aims to increase global awareness about the importance of protecting plant health in order to end hunger, reduce poverty, safeguard the environment, and boost economic development.
At the launch held at Hope Gardens on Wednesday (Jan. 22), representatives of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Caribbean Plant Health Directors (CPHD) Forum, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), lauded the country for leading the charge in the region to address the critical issue of plant health and to help spread awareness.
