FAO Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control Extended until End of 2023

Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has extend its global drive against the fall armyworm, one of the world’s most invasive plant pests.

“Fall armyworm knows no boundaries and is continuing its rapid march across the globe,” FAO Director-General QU Dongyu told the Steering Committee of the FAO Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control as it endorsed a move to extend its timeline to the end of 2023 and broaden its scope.

As recently as 2016, only six African countries reported the pest, which devours dozens of different crops. Today, 78 countries in Africa, the Near East, Asia and the Pacific are reporting it. In Africa alone, fall armyworm is estimated to cause up to USD 9.4 billion in annual yield losses, Qu said.

The spread of fall armyworm is driving intensified pesticide use, putting human and environmental health at risk. In response, the FAO Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control is coordinating comprehensive measures across Africa, the Near East and Asia.

FAO launched the Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control (2019-2022) in December 2019 as an urgent response to the rapid spread of fall armyworm. The initiative complements ongoing FAO activities on fall armyworm.

The Global Action has established a coordination mechanism enabling open and collaborative dialogue for science-based solutions, supports the establishment of National Task Forces on fall armyworm control, and helps mobilize resources for applied research and technical outreach.