Mexico Reinforces Plant Health Leadership Amid Global Challenges

Mexico is strengthening its position as a global leader in plant health through science-based, preventive systems aimed at safeguarding crops, ensuring food security, and addressing emerging agricultural threats. Francisco Ramírez, General Director of Plant Health, National Service for Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA), emphasized that Mexico has become a global reference point for its leadership in managing plant health risks. 

“SENASICA has built a solid, science-based, and preventive system capable of addressing current and future plant health challenges,” he said during an event held on May 12 to mark International Day of Plant Health.

Ramírez underscored that protecting national crops is crucial to ensure well-being, rural development, and sustainability. These goals align with efforts to strengthen food self-sufficiency and sovereignty, key objectives of Plan México, supported by President Claudia Sheinbaum. In this context, he noted that plant health is essential for the success of the welfare programs managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER).

He also stressed that raising awareness about plant health should be a priority in 2025, particularly given increasingly complex global challenges such as climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and emerging phytosanitary threats. According to FAO, up to 40% of global crops are lost each year to pests and plant diseases, which significantly slows agricultural progress. This issue is especially pressing considering that plants constitute 80% of the human diet, which means that threats to plant health directly impact food security.

Ramírez further highlighted the growing importance of the One Health approach. According to WHO, this model aims to balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. For example, climate patterns and man-made water systems can influence the spread of diseases like dengue. The WHO also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the urgent need for a global framework to enhance disease monitoring and establish a more holistic and integrated system to protect the environment, plant and animal health, as well as public health.

Gabriel Ayala, Director of Sanitary Campaigns, SENASICA, stated that the One Health approach enables a cross-sectoral perspective to tackle health problems through collaboration among all stakeholders. This cooperation helps design comprehensive public policies and action plans. Meanwhile, José Luis Lara, Director of Agri-Food Safety and Organic Control, SENASICA, emphasized the close link between food safety and plant health, as the foundation for providing safe and healthy food to benefit both producers and consumers.

Participants also highlighted progress in plant health campaigns. José Manuel Gutiérrez, Director of Plant Protection, SENASICA, addressed ongoing efforts such as the campaign against regulated avocado pests and phytosanitary measures to control fruit and branch borers in orchards. These actions include field sampling, trapping, and hotspot control, which help increase the volume of marketable fruit. Additionally, Israel Cueto, Director of the National Fruit Fly Program, explained that the Moscamed program protects more than 250 fruit and vegetable species grown in Mexico. The program relies on fieldwork that does not harm crops, animals, or human health.