In the fourth edition of our “Plant health policy at a glance” series, we present the crucial role of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) in tackling ToBRFV and ToLCNDV in tomatoes and cucurbits.
What is the IPPC?
The International Plant Protection Convention is an intergovernmental treaty overseen by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to protect the world’s plant resources from the spread and introduction of plant pests. The IPPC also promotes safe trade of plants and plant products. The Convention not only protects cultivated plants, but also natural flora and plant products. Furthermore, it considers both direct and indirect damage by pests, meaning that it also covers damage by weeds. The IPPC was established in 1951 and gathers over 180 countries, including the European Union as signatories. The IPPC is one of the so-called “Three Sisters” recognized by the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement. The others include the Codex Alimentarius Commission for food safety standards and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for animal health standards.
The Convention has introduced International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) as its main tool to achieve its goals. It is the sole global standard setting organization for plant health. The Secretariat of the IPPC is at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. The IPPC Secretariat is responsible for the coordination of core activities under the IPPC work program. The current Secretary of the IPPC is Osama El-Lissy.
The governance of the IPPC
The governance of the IPPC is structured around several governing bodies and structures. Firstly, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) is the IPPC’s main governing body, overseeing the Convention’s implementation. The CPM includes each party to the IPPC and is responsible for:
- Reviewing the state of plant protection around the world.
- Identifying action to control the spread of pests into new areas.
- Developing and adopting international standards.
- Establishing rules and procedures for resolving disputes.
- Adopting guidelines for the recognition of regional plant protection organizations (RPPOs).
- Cooperating with international organizations on matters covered by the Convention.
Secondly, the Standards Committee (SC) also plays a key role, which consists of 25 members from the seven FAO regions. Its responsibility is to oversee the IPPC standard setting process to develop international standards. Specifically, the SC manages the development of ISPMs, of which there are currently 46. It also provides guidance and technical oversight to the IPPC’s technical panels and expert working groups. Thirdly, another key governing pillar of the IPPC is the IPPC network. This network includes ten RPPOs, including the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). The RPPOs are notably responsible for coordinating the work of National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs). Every year, the IPPC Secretariat gathers all RPPOs to discuss common challenges, share information and create synergies.
How the IPPC supports plant health policies
The IPPC’s core activities include governance, standard-setting, implementation & capacity development, information exchange, dispute settlement and reviewing the global status of plant protection. While the IPPC’s primary focus is on plants and plant products moving across borders, the Convention also covers multiple other fields. These include research materials, biological control organisms, germplasm banks, containment facilities, food and emergency aid. It also focuses on anything else that can act as a vector for the spread of plant pests. This concerns for example containers, packaging materials, soil, vehicles, vessels and machinery.
Within the IPPC’s mandate, the fight against ToBRFV and ToLCNDV in tomatoes and cucurbits is only one of many tasks. The IPPC also works on fields as diverse as e.g. the impact of climate change, aquatic plant species, methyl bromide or the risks of trading plants over the internet. Moreover, the IPPC regularly organizes consultations on ISPMs, recommendations by the CPM and other key documents. For these consultations, it is also possible for actors and stakeholders outside of the IPPC ecosystem to participate and provide their recommendations.
IPPC International Plant Health Conference
The Convention has also started in 2022 to organize the International Plant Health Conference as its public flagship plant health event. The first edition took place from 21-23 September 2022 in London, UK. The IPPC Secretariat, the FAO and the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) were the co-organisors. The First International Plant Health Conference addressed new and emerging plant health challenges. This included climate change impacts, the significant increase in international trade, the rapid loss of biological diversity and new pest pathways such as e-commerce. Throughout the conference, plant health actors and stakeholders explored more efficient national, regional and global policies, structures and mechanisms. With plant health remaining a key factor in any strategy to achieve food security, protect the environment and biodiversity, and facilitate safe trade, future editions of the International Plant Health Conference are already foreseen.

VIRTIGATION and the IPPC
While VIRTIGATION works primarily to shape European plant health policies, the IPPC is still an important policy stakeholder for the project. As VIRTIGATION will especially feed into the work of the EPPO, it will indirectly reach international plant health discussions through the EPPO’s participation in the IPPC network in particular. The same counts for the project’s foreseen recommendations to improve standards in e.g. Phytosanitary Certification and National Plant Protection Certification for NPPOs, as NPPOs can contribute to the IPPC consultation process. Finally, the project envisages to raise awareness on the IPPC’s priorities, such as e.g. the International Day of Plant Health taking place annually on the 12th of May.