An integrated approach to meet future plant health challenges in Scotland

Abstract

Plants are a vital component for the maintenance of life on Earth and serve as the feedstock for many industries on which large parts of the world rely. Like all other forms of life, they are susceptible to disease and attack, sometimes with disastrous consequences for habitats and economies. Safeguarding plant health is therefore rightly recognised as one of the major objectives for the Scottish Government, and the reason for which the Government launched its Plant Health Strategy in 2016. This paper describes the drivers and aims for this Strategy and some of the industry-led initiatives which are enabling its implementation.