Training and Knowledge Transfer to Support Strong, Comprehensive National and International Plant Biosecurity Preparedness

Abstract

Plant biosecurity has been defined as the protection of natural and managed plant systems from the emergence/introduction of pests that would negatively affect the productivity, sustainability or diversity of plant systems. Threats to plants may be as a result of accidental or deliberate introduction of a plant disease/pest with the goal of reducing productivity or as a result of an introduction of contaminants that would render the resultant produce unusable. Experience from previous outbreaks and incidents demonstrated that it is essential that a high state of readiness is maintained to enable countries to deal with outbreaks in crops. Training and routine exercises are the key to maintaining overall preparedness. The chapter describes some experiences and hints for future training programmes based on the experience of the authors particularly in the EU PLANTFOODSEC Network of Excellence.