When May 12th comes around every year, it’s time for everyone to observe the International Day of Plant Health. This holiday attempts to raise public awareness about the importance of protecting plant health and how it can affect food security, worldwide food distribution, and consumption.

It’s a day that strives to protect biodiversity around the world, face the agricultural challenges caused by climate change, and help end world hunger. These are objectives that the world can meet if we all come together and work as one. Sure, some issues surrounding the protection of indigenous plants are complicated, but there are solutions that can be implemented.

The History of International Day of Plant Health

Before anyone tries to discount the importance of this holiday, let us take a moment to discuss just how vital plants are to all of humanity. Plants provide us with oxygen, food, fiber, shelter, medicine, and even fuel.

There isn’t any one aspect of human life that isn’t touched by plants, and that’s why it’s crucial to protect indigenous plants around the world. Unfortunately, deforestation, climate change, and mismanagement of resources are causing severe damage to our ecosystems, and as a result, the health of plants worldwide is at risk.

It’s been estimated that in 2021 alone, up to 40% of food crops were lost to plant pests and diseases. This not only exacerbates the problem of world hunger but also threatens the livelihoods of rural communities around the globe.

Now that we understand the importance of this holiday, let’s find out exactly when it was created. According to our research, this holiday was established in March of 2022 by order of the United Nations General Assembly.

They decided that this holiday should be observed on May 12th and would be used as a day to highlight world agricultural problems. The International Day of Plant Health is a holiday that’s observed not only on the local level but also on regional, national, and global levels as well.

Observing International Day of Plant Health

Everyone should feel free to observe this holiday in their own way. For some, that might mean ensuring that they’re using eco-friendly agricultural methods for their home garden or on their farm. For others, it’s about asking politicians to support and protect the food security chain.

This holiday can be observed by individuals, agricultural groups, government agencies, and just about everyone who has a vested interest in biodiversity and agricultural development. People should feel free to use the hashtag #InternationalDayOfPlantHealth to spread the word about this holiday.