Policy paper

Plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain (2023 to 2028)

Published 9 January 2023

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Joint ministerial foreword

Plants are a crucially important part of our economy, from agricultural and horticultural production to timber, medicines and wider co-benefits including for public wellbeing. The health of our plants and plant products is therefore of vital importance but is increasingly under threat from pests and diseases.

In recent years there has been an increasing global awareness of plant pests and diseases and their impacts on plant health. The United Nations (UN) designated 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health and have also designated an annual International Day of Plant Health (12 May).

Plant pests and diseases know no borders. With the global trade in plants and plant products continuing to grow, our forests and plants are at risk across all sectors including agriculture, horticulture and forestry. (Source: Hulme. ‘Trade, transport and trouble: managing invasive species pathways in an era of globalization’ Journal of Applied Ecology, 2009)

Biodiversity loss is also accelerating due to climate change, as highlighted at the COP26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow. The UK is the first major economy in the world to commit to reaching Net Zero emissions overall by 2050. The health of our forests and plants will be integral, as a nature-based solution for our environmental recovery and the transition to a green and sustainable future.

Biosecurity is increasingly recognised not just as an important tool in the fight against climate change, but also in reducing poverty and hunger and boosting economic development. We all have a collective responsibility to protect plant health. This is why this strategy has been developed in partnership with industry, landowners, non-government organisations, the scientific community and the wider public. It sets out joint commitments on how we are working together to protect plant biosecurity in Great Britain.

This strategy has been borne out of extensive co-operation between the UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Forestry Commission (FC). It also takes account of related environment, tree, woodland and forestry strategies adopted by our respective governments. Though plant health remains a devolved matter, the strategy is founded on a commitment to co-ordinate our approach towards plant biosecurity and in recognition of our collective responsibility to respond to these challenges and protect our plants and trees. It represents an ambitious plan of action on the scale required to tackle this growing threat. We thank all those who have contributed to this strategy and look forward to our joint working in the future.

Signed by:

Lord Richard Benyon, Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs, UK government

Lorna Slater MSP, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, Scottish Government

Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Welsh Government

Executive summary

This plant biosecurity strategy has been borne out of extensive co-operation between the UK government, Scottish Government and Welsh Government, recognising that pests and diseases do not respect national boundaries, and our joint commitment to co-ordinate our approach to plant biosecurity. This strategy has also been closely developed with key stakeholders.

The term ‘we’ and ‘our’ is referenced throughout the strategy. In almost all instances, it refers to Defra, Forestry Commission, Scottish Government and/or Welsh Government and their agencies.

The scope of this strategy is limited to biosecurity of plants (including trees) and plant products (for example, vegetables, fruits in the botanical sense, wood packaging material, cut flowers). While this strategy connects to broader work on plant health (for example, soil health), animal biosecurity, and the prevention of invasive species incursions, these areas are not the focus of this strategy.

Plants and trees are vital for our future survival, and the biosecurity threat is increasing. While we have made huge progress in our goals since the publication of the previous ‘Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain’ in 2014, we must continue to work collectively to maintain good biosecurity practices.

Through our commitments listed in the Action Plan (Annex A) we have set out how we will work together to deliver our new vision for the next 5 years of plant biosecurity in Great Britain, which is:

To protect Great Britain’s plants through a strong partnership of government, industry, and the public, working together to reduce and manage risks posed by plant pests and pathogens, and facilitate safe trade.

This vision is supported by 4 key outcomes:

Outcome 1: a world class biosecurity regime

Making the most of opportunities to tailor and strengthen our response to prevent and manage the introduction and spread of pests and pathogens that pose a threat to Great Britain’s plant health.

Outcome 2: a society that values healthy plants

Raising awareness of the importance of healthy plants and trees and encouraging the adoption of responsible behaviours across society.

Outcome 3: a biosecure plant supply chain

Government and industry working in partnership to support a biosecure plant supply chain.

Outcome 4: an enhanced technical capability

Building plant health capability and making best use of both existing and innovative science and technology to keep pace with changing threats and ensure preparedness for the future.

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Why do we need a plant biosecurity strategy?

The word ‘biosecurity’ refers to a set of precautions that aim to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful organisms. These include non-native pests, such as insects, and disease-causing organisms called pathogens, such as some viruses, bacteria and fungi. These pests and pathogens threaten the health of our plants and trees the same way such types of organisms threaten the health of humans and animals.

In 2012, the fungal pathogen that causes ash dieback was first detected in the UK. This pathogen, which is often fatal to our native ash trees, arrived here naturally as wind-blown spores as well as through the importation of infected ash trees. The discovery of this devastating pathogen on our shores was a landmark moment, triggering a step change in public awareness. This led to our original plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain being published in 2014.

Although we have made significant progress in delivering that strategy, ash dieback is just one of an ever-growing number of threats to plant health. Figure 1 illustrates the cumulative increase in detections of new tree pests and diseases, from the first detection of Dutch Elm Disease in 1971, to Phytophthora pluvialis detected in 2021. There were 5 incursions in the 30-year period up to 2000, compared to 19 in the subsequent years.

As the UK left the European Union (EU) on 31 December 2020, now is the time to review and rescope our approach, with an increased focus on plant biosecurity risks to Great Britain.

Figure 1: Graph showing a cumulative increase in the number of new pest and disease outbreaks (y axis) affecting trees since 1971 (x axis). The frequency of outbreaks has increased significantly since 2002 (Source: Forestry Commission)

Year (since 1971)	New pest and disease outbreak
1971	Dutch elm disease
1983	Great spruce bark beetle
1984	Phytophthora alni
1995	Gypsy moth
1997	Dothistroma needle blight
2002	Phytophthora ramorum
2002	Horse chestnut leaf miner
2003	Phytophthora kernoviae
2005	Bleeding canker of horse chestnut
2006	Oak processionary moth
2006	Phytophthora pseudosyringae
2007	Pine tree lappet moth
2010	Acute oak decline
2010	Phytophthora lateralis
2012	Ash dieback
2012	Asian longhorn beetle
2012	Sweet chestnut blight
2012	Phytophthora austrocedri
2014	Phytophthora sikiyouensis
2014	Sirococcus tsugae
2015	Oriental chestnut gall wasp
2017	Elm zigzag sawfly
2018	Eight toothed spruce bark beetle
2021	Phytophthora pluvialis

1.2 The value of plants

Our plants and trees are vital natural capital. We have estimated their total annual value to the UK at £15.7 billion per year, comprising the economic, environmental and social benefits our plants and treescapes provide. This includes the important role our plants play in sequestering harmful greenhouse gases, otherwise known as carbon sequestration. This is estimated to be valued at £4.2 billion per year and will play a crucial role in achieving the government’s ambitions of overall Net Zero emissions by 2050.

The economic benefit of our plants and trees includes the value of our agricultural crops, horticulture, flowers and fruits and vegetables. This is estimated to contribute £4.1 billion to the UK’s economy every year, whilst the commercial forestry industry contributes £0.7 billion.

Our woodlands also provide important social benefits that we have included in our analysis, including recreational benefits, biodiversity benefits and landscape amenity. Together this is estimated annually at £3.1 billion. We have also extended our estimates of social benefits to include, for the first time, the mental health and well-being benefits of UK woodlands, estimated at £0.2 billion per year.

Using our estimates for the annual value of plants, we can also provide an indication of the asset value of trees. An asset value of trees estimates the value of the benefits that our trees provide over their lifetime. Our analysis produces an asset value in the region of £350 billion through projecting the relevant tree-related values in our annual value of plants estimate, over a 100-year time period.

The analysis we have produced has used a combination of market values where available and different techniques to estimate non-market values to express the ecosystem services of plants in monetary terms. We have also expanded our analysis to include the value of non-woodland trees, estimated at £1.4 billion, with previous analyses only covering woodlands. Nevertheless, there are still multiple benefits that are difficult to monetise, including the cultural and educational value of plants, value of wild plants and further aspects of the social benefits of plants. We aim to widen our understanding of these areas through future research. This will inform subsequent updates to the value of plant estimates and are likely to increase the overall estimate of the value considerably.

Therefore, all these estimates of value should be treated as providing a partial indication of the size of the important value that our plants provide, rather than exact values. Treated as such, these important values can be powerful in helping inform key decisions and priorities.

Further details on how these estimates have been monetised are included in Annex B.

The importance of plants ^{[footnote 1]}:

98% of the oxygen we breathe is produced by plants

1.3 billion kg of air pollutants are removed by plants in the UK each year

80% of the food we eat is provided by plants

80% of the world’s terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects live in forests

over a third of the 454 native tree species in Europe are considered threatened

up to 74% of the social costs of greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided by having a greater plant-based diet

Half the global population rely primarily on natural medicines for their healthcare

15,000 litres of water can be intercepted by a mature evergreen tree each year, mitigating flood risk

Trade value

In the last century, there has been a significant rise in the global movement of goods, aided by the introduction of faster and larger transport vehicles such as airplanes, containerships, high-speed train networks, as well as internet sales.

In 2021, around 21.5 million tonnes of plants and plant products, valued at £15.8 billion, were imported and exported between the UK and the rest of the world. Of which 18.6 million tonnes (£14.5 billion) were imports to the UK, and 2.9 million tonnes (£1.3 billion) were exports from the UK. Read the statistics published by Defra in Plant Health – international trade and controlled consignments, 2017-2021 (GOV.UK).

1.3 Increasing threats to plant health

Increased threats to plant health have been attributed to several factors, including climate change and the increase in global trade and travel, which provides more entry pathways for pests and diseases. Examples of recent outbreaks include Phytophthora pluvialis, detected in Great Britain in 2021 (the first detection in Europe and on a previously unpublished host, Western Hemlock) and the Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), a virus affecting mainly tomato and pepper plants.

Diversity of plant pests and pathogens

There are a vast number of potential plant pests and diseases. The UK Plant Health Risk Register has assessed over 1,200 pests and pathogens and identified over 700 for either further research or as a potential threat to the UK.

The global database of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO) has more than 90,000 species of interest to agriculture, forestry, and plant protection. This database spans insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes, yet there are a significant number of species which are not included.

Factors such as climate change and globalisation of trade will influence the number and diversity of pests that plants in Great Britain are exposed to, as well as evolution and cross breeding of organisms. This highlights the importance of the Risk Register as a dynamic tool.

Potential pest threats screened through the UK Plant Health Risk Register

Orchard crop

85 pests attack apples in the UK

One of these is the apple maggot fly (Rhagoletis pomonella), which is a significant threat to the UK apple industry. It is native to North America and could be introduced on fruit or plants for planting.

Greenhouse crop

160 pests threaten tomato production in the UK

For example, ToBRFV which also devastates yields of peppers. It could be introduced by plants for planting or seeds.

Ornamental crop

130 pests endanger the UK rose industry

Rose rosette virus is one of these pests. Although believed to be absent in the UK, it is present in much of North America and India, and could spread via plants for planting or cut flowers. Gardeners are advised to remain vigilant.

Forestry

90 pests can attack oak trees

These pests include Xylella fastidiosa, a highly damaging bacterial pathogen that affects over 560 plant and tree species. It could be introduced into the UK by the movement of plants for planting.

Field grown crop

165 pests threaten potato cultivation in the UK

For example, potato flea beetles (Epitrix spp.) can cause a major impact on the crop’s commercial value. In the past, it has been intercepted on the ware potatoes at the UK border.

Numerous risk pathways

Plant pests and pathogens can spread between or around countries in many ways, including movements of:

• live plants or plant products in trade or passenger baggage from abroad
• timber and wood packaging, such as pallets
• dirty tools such as chainsaws, kit, machinery, and vehicles
• soil and leaf litter

The biogeography of the British Isles also means that many airborne pests and pathogens can naturally traverse the channel and spread from continental Europe. Recent examples include ash dieback and the eight toothed spruce bark beetle.

Increasing global trade

Increases in global trade mean that around 18.6 million tonnes of plants and plant material are imported into the UK every year, which is a prime factor in the spread of pests and diseases. (Source: ‘Plant Health – international trade and controlled consignments, 2017-2021’ GOV.UK). Despite ongoing actions to strengthen our import requirements, we continue to detect regulated pests and diseases on a range of different commodities at the border. Roughly 100 outbreaks per year (including inland interceptions at isolated sites) occur in Great Britain from these pathways. Out of these, around 5 are generally of higher concern.

An outright ban on trade may seem like a simple solution, but UK production does not currently meet demand and trade in plants and plant material is essential for many reasons, including food security and resilience to climate change. We must strike a balance between the flow of trade and protecting our high standards of plant biosecurity. The UK operates a risk-based, regulatory regime to meet World Trade Organisation obligations and implements a comprehensive range of government measures to maintain biosecure practices, which are outlined further in Chapter 3.

In recent years, the trade in plants and plant products on the internet has increased significantly as people seek to find more convenient ways of accessing plants from abroad. While this is a relatively new medium for purchasing plants, and online sales are subject to the same checks and requirements as other imports, it is an area we will continue to monitor closely in the future.

Climate change

Climate change is expected to have a significant impact on our environment, with more frequent extreme weather events, higher sea levels and warmer temperatures. In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) published a scientific review of the impact of climate change on plant health, which concluded that climate change has already expanded some pests’ host range and geographical distribution and may further increase the risk of pest introduction to new areas.

Whilst half of all emerging plant pests and diseases are spread by global travel and trade, which have tripled in volume over the last decade, weather is the second most important factor. For example, a single, unusually warm winter may be enough to assist the establishment of an invasive pest. The FAO review calls for greater international co-operation, the development of harmonised plant protection strategies and more research.

1.4 Governance

Domestic arrangements

The UK Plant Health Service (PHS) is comprised of Defra, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, Daera (Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) and the Forestry Commission. The PHS is supported by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and wider delivery bodies (for example, Fera Science Ltd and Forest Research).

The work of the UK PHS is set out in the provisional plant health framework, which seeks to maintain the adoption of common plant health rules across the UK. It does this whilst respecting the potential for divergence, and managing the ability for one administration to take a different approach where technically justified.

The framework formalises decision-making and dispute resolution processes for officials to discuss policy plans regarding UK biosecurity, whilst enabling:

• the functioning of the UK internal market, while acknowledging policy divergence
• compliance with international obligations
• the ability of the UK to negotiate, enter into and implement new trade agreements and international treaties
• the management of common resources

Recognising that plant health is a devolved matter, the framework is a statement of intent to work together at a UK level. Its scope focuses on the protection of plant health and facilitation of trade in regulated plant material.

In England, Defra is responsible for strategic oversight, policy development, legislation and for ensuring that appropriate governance structures and resources are in place to underpin the framework, such as co-ordination of risk assessment and policy development across the UK. APHA is responsible for operations in agriculture and horticulture.

In Wales, the Welsh Government has responsibility for plant health issues and provides strategic policy advice, development of legislation, implementation of official controls on plant and tree health, and plant and seed certification. APHA is responsible for operations in agriculture and horticulture. Plant health (forestry) functions are being delivered by Natural Resources Wales and the Forestry Commission.

In Scotland, Scottish Forestry is responsible for policy and operations in forests, with some functions delivered by Forestry Commission on behalf of Scottish Government. NatureScot is responsible for the natural environment and SASA, a division of the Scottish Government’s Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate (ARE), is responsible for agriculture and horticulture.

The Forestry Commission is responsible for plant health (forestry) and forest reproductive materials matters in England. Forestry and woodlands policy is determined by the Secretary of State with guidance from Defra officials, supported closely by the Forestry Commission. The Forestry Commission also delivers cross-border plant health (forestry) functions on behalf of the UK Government, Scottish Government and Welsh Government, as detailed in Schedule 3 to the Memorandum of Understanding for the Cross-Border provision of Forestry Functions and Research Delivery. Forest Research, an agency of the Forestry Commission, deliver the Science and Innovation Strategy for Forestry in Great Britain on behalf of the three nations.

The UK government and the devolved governments each have a Chief Plant Health Officer, who provide senior leadership across plant health matters, and the operational response in the event of an outbreak. They also play a vital role in representing the UK in the EU and international forums.

International arrangements

International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

The IPPC is an international treaty under the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) that aims to protect the world’s cultivated and natural plant (including tree) resources from the spread and introduction of plant pests, while minimising interference with the international movement of goods and people. As of 2022, there are 184 contracting parties to the convention.

The UK takes an active role in many IPPC working groups and subsidiary bodies, with participants usually representing the whole FAO European Region.

European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO)

EPPO is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for international co-operation in plant protection in the European and Mediterranean region. EPPO is recognised by the IPPC as the Regional Plant Protection Organisation for Europe. It is currently made up of 52 member governments, including nearly every country of western and eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region.

The UK was one of the founding countries and takes an active role in all relevant EPPO panels and working groups representing the UK or attending as independent subject matter experts.

National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO)

Under the IPPC, the UK is required to establish a National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO), which is responsible for a range of activities, including phytosanitary certification, surveillance, pest risk analysis, and risk management. Defra represents the UK as the NPPO in international and European forums. The UK government, the devolved governments and the Forestry Commission host regular official meetings via the NPPO to co-ordinate policy and regulations.

The NPPO provides a strategic overview of plant health issues at the domestic and international level. It takes policy decisions on plant health issues affecting the UK as a whole and provides direction to, and oversight of, the work of the UK Plant Health Risk Group (PHRG), the UK Plant Health Outbreak Readiness Board (PHORB) and the Plant Health Evidence and Co-ordination Group (PHECG).

The PHRG advises the UK NPPO of new and emerging plant health threats with recommendations for actions. It also utilises and maintains the UK Plant Health Risk Register and informs the development of policy across the UK by providing technical and scientific advice and analysis.

The PHORB co-ordinates outbreak preparedness activities and ensures that the UK is well prepared for outbreaks of plant pests, including priority pests, such as Xylella fastidiosa and Agrilus planipennis (Emerald ash borer).

The PHECG helps to ensure UK government Plant Health Research and Development Programmes are responding to the evidence and evaluation needs of the UK NPPO, including those identified by PHRG and PHORB, in a co-ordinated fashion.

1.5 Key achievements since 2014

The plant biosecurity strategy of 2014 set out a number of important goals, and we have made considerable progress towards achieving these. A list of the commitments can be found in the original strategy document. However, listed below are some of the key outcomes we have delivered since the publication of the previous strategy and associated strategies such as the Tree Health Resilience Strategy (2018).

Risk-based decision making

Key outcomes include:

• appointment of Chief Plant Health Officers for England, Scotland and Wales to provide leadership and greater accountability
• creation of the UK Plant Health Risk Register which contains over 1,200 pest and disease risks and a systematic process for reviewing risks on a monthly basis with ministers
• development and publication of the first Scottish Plant Health Strategy in 2016
• publication of a Generic Plant Health Contingency Plan in 2017 which describes how the plant health service in England will manage outbreaks of plant pests, subsequently revised in 2022, and 35 pest specific outbreak response plans including those for Xylella fastidiosa and Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer)
• implementation of a new UK Plant Health Outbreak Readiness Board, which co-ordinates outbreak preparedness activities and reviews levels of preparedness for priority pests

Raising awareness and involvement

Key outcomes include:

• launch of major public awareness campaigns in collaboration with many organisations for the International Year of Plant Health in 2020
• designation of an annual National Plant Health Week, starting from 2020, that encompasses the annual International Day of Plant Health on 12 May
• launch of collaborative biosecurity campaigns with our delivery partners, including APHA’s ‘Don’t Risk It’ campaign at the border, and the Forestry Commission and Scottish Forestry’s ‘Keep it Clean’ campaign to protect trees, woods, and forests
• expansion of the Observatree citizen science network to over 200 trained volunteers across Great Britain
• collaboration and launch of the Welsh Government and APHA sentinel site project in 2019
• development of the Plant Health Information Portal to enable access to information on plant pests in 2017

Activity pre-border

Key outcomes include:

• implementation of a new imports regime in January 2021 which addressed plant health risks posed to Great Britain (rather than those faced by the EU), with frequent updates being made in response to new information and analysis of risks
• co-ordination of the International Plant Sentinel Network of 74 partner gardens and arboreta worldwide, which aims to provide an early warning system for new and emerging pest and pathogen risks

We have strengthened our import regime through a suite of new legislation, including implementation of Smarter Rules for Safer Food Plant Health legislation from 2016 to 2019, and delivery of EU-Exit and post-transition period legislation and operations from 2020 to 2022. This has introduced major changes, including:

• a prohibition on importation of the highest risk trees and the phytosanitary certification of all plants for planting which are permitted for import
• pre-notification of all imports of regulated plants and timber to government to allow for official inspection and surveillance
• introduction of bespoke import requirements, reflecting specific risks to Great Britain biosecurity, including emergency actions in response to enhanced threats (for example, Xylella fastidiosa and pine processionary moth)

Activity at the border

Key outcomes include:

• recruitment of over 200 new border inspectors
• designation of bespoke border infrastructure in 2019 for the performance of import controls (Border Control Posts and Control Points) - more than 100 of these facilities are in use across the UK, all meeting prescriptive minimum standards to enable safe and reliable checks
• almost doubling the UK’s diagnostic capacity for the testing of samples taken during import inspections

Activity inland

Key outcomes include:

• introduction of new powers to implement a Civil Sanctions regime in English and Welsh legislation in 2020, and consultation on the details of a regime in 2021
• introduction of a new plant passporting regime for all movements of regulated plants and timber for commercial purposes within Great Britain
• development of a process to facilitate APHA and Forestry Commission to carry out tree inspections on high risk imported species in their final planting locations, enabling detection of potentially harmful pests and pathogens that might go unnoticed at the border
• investment of £10 million in Great Britain’s nurseries during 2021 to 2022, through the Nature for Climate Fund, to support the Grown in Britain agenda and increase the domestic production of diverse, biosecure, high-quality tree planting material
• establishment of the UK Plant Health Alliance, in collaboration with industry, and publication of a new, best practice biosecurity standard, the Plant Health Management Standard, and the associated independent Plant Healthy certification scheme, with more than 26 major nurseries now certified and over 11 in the pipeline
• launch of a 12-month pilot of a new biosecure procurement requirement for suppliers of plants and trees under the Forestry Commission’s England Woodland Creation Offer grant scheme and Tree Health restocking grant schemes
• publication of new guidance and toolkits to help landowners manage pests and diseases, including new ash dieback and oak processionary moth toolkits developed in collaboration with the Tree Council, Forestry Commission and Scottish Forestry
• on public forest estate, 100% of the trees planted are now UK grown and have been for the last three years

We have launched a series of major new grant schemes and pilots to provide financial support to landowners and industry including:

• the Local Authority Treescapes Fund to help restore ecologically degraded land, including that from pests and diseases
• the Tree Production Innovation Fund to enhance quality, quantity and diversity of tree seed supply
• five new pilot tree health schemes which expand on the existing Countryside Stewardship offer by providing support for a greater range of diseases and trees outside of woodland

Research and skills

Key outcomes include:

• UK government, including UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has invested over £100 million in plant health research and development, including launch of the £19 million Bacterial Plant Pathogens Programme and the £14.5 million Future of UK Treescapes Programme
• development and publication of official statistics on international trade in plants and plant products utilising data from HMRC, APHA and the Forestry Commission
• creation of Action Oak, a pioneering initiative which brings together over 30 partners and has helped support 13 PhDs to protect our native oaks
• creation of a new Scottish Plant Health Centre of Expertise
• publication of an Ash Research Strategy and the planting of 3000 trees tolerant to ash dieback in the UK’s first archive
• approval for first Great Britain release of the parasitoid wasp Torymus sinensis, a natural biocontrol agent to help reduce the spread of oriental chestnut gall wasp and protect the health of sweet chestnut trees
• the inclusion of plant diseases in the GCSE and A-level Biology curriculum as part of communicable diseases, including emerging plant health problems such as ash dieback
• creation of the Plant Health Undergraduate Scheme (PHUGS) offering internships and projects in partnership with Royal Society of Biology (RSB), British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP), David Colegrave Foundation, Gatsby Plants and Association of Applied Biologists
• creation of a Master’s degree in Plant Pathology and Post Graduate Certificate in Plant Health in partnership with Harper Adams University
• creation of the Plant Health Professional Register in partnership with RSB

Chapter 2: Our vision for plant biosecurity in Great Britain

2.1 Our vision

We have developed a new vision for plant biosecurity for the next 5 years. It has been created in collaboration with key stakeholders and based on feedback received during the public consultation. Our new vision is:

To protect Great Britain’s plants through a strong partnership of government, industry and the public, to reduce and manage the risks posed by plant pests and pathogens and facilitate safe trade.

Underpinning this vision, we have developed 4 key outcomes, which are all essential components to achieving our vision. Further details on how we will continue to build on our previous achievements, as well as the actions that we will aim to deliver over the next 5 years are set out in Chapter 3.

Outcome 1: a world class biosecurity regime

Making the most of opportunities to tailor and strengthen our response to prevent and manage the introduction and spread of pests and pathogens that pose a threat to Great Britain’s plant health.

Outcome 2: a society that values healthy plants

Raising awareness of the importance of healthy plants and trees and encouraging the adoption of responsible behaviours across society.

Outcome 3: a biosecure plant supply chain

Government and industry working in partnership to support a biosecure plant supply chain.

Outcome 4: an enhanced technical capability

Building plant health science capability and making best use of both existing and innovative technology to keep pace with changing threats and ensure preparedness for the future.

2.2 Development and scope

This strategy sets out the UK government, Scottish Government and Welsh Government’s collective approach to plant biosecurity, focusing on preventing the introduction and spread of pests and diseases which threaten our crops, trees, gardens, and countryside. It also sets out commitments from organisations working in collaboration with us in the plant sector.

Safeguarding plant health is a top priority for the UK Government, Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Pests and diseases do not respect national boundaries, so this strategy has been agreed on a Great Britain-wide basis and is founded on a commitment to co-ordinate our approach towards plant biosecurity. As set out in the plant health common framework, plant health is a devolved matter and national authorities can take a different approach to a specific pest or pathogen where appropriate. We will continue to work with Daera to ensure the best possible protection to the UK as a whole, whilst also recognising the importance of close collaboration with the Republic of Ireland to strengthen the biosecurity of the island.

The scope of this strategy is limited to biosecurity of plants (including trees) and plant products (for example, vegetables, fruits in the botanical sense, wood packaging material, cut flowers), which is covered by a range of plant health regulations in national legislation and retained EU law^{[footnote 2]}. While this strategy connects to broader work on plant health (for example, soil health, animal biosecurity, and the prevention of invasive species incursions), these areas, which are covered by different national legislation, are not covered in this strategy.

This strategy also takes account of a number of ongoing frameworks and strategies including:

• Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan
• Defra’s Tree Health Resilience Strategy, published in 2018
• the Well-being of Future Generations Act (GOV.WALES) published in 2015 (WFG Act), which provides a comprehensive framework for sustainable development in Wales
• Net Zero Wales (GOV.WALES)
• the Scottish Plant Health Strategy, published in 2016 (GOV.SCOT)

A Horticulture Strategy for England and a new Great Britain Invasive Non-native Species Strategy are currently being developed. Given the close policy links this strategy has taken account of both documents.

2.3 Partnerships

Recognising that government cannot act alone, we all have a collective responsibility to adopt good biosecurity behaviours and work together to keep our nation’s plants safe from pests and diseases. We would like to thank all the partners that have helped to develop this strategy, including government agencies, non-government organisations, the scientific community, and members of the trade, among many others. Together we have worked to shape government policy and develop our commitments for the next 5 years, and through our joint working we hope to achieve much greater impact and reach.

For more details on our collective commitments for the next 5 years, please refer to the Action Plan in Annex A. If you would like further information on the work of particular partners, please visit their respective websites.

2.4 Consultation

This strategy builds on a consultation carried out by Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Forestry Commission and our agencies and delivery partners, to inform our approach to plant biosecurity over the next 5 years.

The consultation was launched on 21 September 2021 and ran for 10 weeks until 30 November 2021, receiving 1,192 responses. These included 139 responses to the consultation questionnaire on the Citizen Space (an online consultation tool), 6 individual email responses and 1,047 responses from a letter writing campaign.

A government response to the consultation was published in April 2022, including a full technical report containing analysis of each question.

Chapter 3: A plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain

3.1 Outcome 1: A world class biosecurity regime

In this section we set out how we are making the most of opportunities to tailor and strengthen our response to plant health threats to prevent the introduction and spread of pests and pathogens that pose a threat to Great Britain’s plants and trees.

Overview: A biosecure regulatory regime

The cost of eradicating plant pests and diseases after they have entered Great Britain is far greater than the cost of preventing them. Previous outbreaks show that costs can range anywhere from £2 million for eradicating a small outbreak of Asian Longhorn Beetle, to managing the outbreak of ash dieback which is estimated to cost Great Britain £15 billion over the coming decades^{[footnote 3]}.

One of our key responsibilities as the NPPO is protecting plant resources and facilitating safe international trade of plant commodities through the establishment and implementation of phytosanitary measures. Through these measures, the UK takes a leading role in international plant health, as well as holding representation on many international bodies to encourage better plant biosecurity practices worldwide.

Our regulatory regime prohibits or controls the imports of high-risk plants, other planting material, plant products, wood and wood products (including firewood). Since our departure from the EU, the number of plants and plant products entering Great Britain that require inspection has increased significantly, as has the number of goods that require certification for export from Great Britain to the EU. Inspections help to confirm compliance against prescribed requirements but also provide intelligence about possible new and emerging issues. For this reason, it is essential to continue carrying out targeted inspections of controlled and uncontrolled plant and wood imports. We currently carry out over 70,000 physical checks of imported plants and trees each year.

Figure 2: Border inspection of wood imports (source: Forestry Commission)

While physical checks are important, pests and diseases can also be airborne and spread on the wind or cross the border by being transported in wood packing material or in soil associated with other imports. In addition, some signs of pests and pathogens take a while to emerge and may not be detected at the border. It is therefore important to undertake risk-based inspections at nursery sites and wider surveillance in urban and rural environments to detect latent problems as early as possible and respond swiftly.

For example, APHA carries out over 5,000 inspections each year in nurseries, and the Forestry Commission surveys over 40,000 individual trees as well as undertaking aerial surveillance of over one million hectares of forest each year, looking for priority pests and diseases such as Phytophthora ramorum, bark beetles and sweet chestnut blight. The Scottish Forestry aerial surveillance programme covers 1.2 million hectares of trees and forest across Scotland each year, generally requiring over 1,000 follow up site inspections where stressed trees have been identified.

Figure 3: Aerial surveillance carried out by the Forestry Commission (source: Forestry Commission)

Identifying new threats and assessing risk

We can better prepare for the arrival of pests and pathogens through our horizon scanning approach. Our UK Plant Health Risk Group appraises and monitors threats using the UK Plant Health Risk Register to track plant health risks and prioritises them for action to address any emerging threats to UK biosecurity. The Risk Register has assessed over 1,400 plant pests and pathogens and identified over 700 either for further research or as a potential threat to the UK. Experts from across Great Britain monitor scientific reports and developments across the world, and systematically examine information to identify potential threats. As a result, around 4 pests are identified and assessed each month to be added to the Risk Register. They assess the biological characteristics of pests and pathogens, how likely pests are to enter, establish and cause economic, environmental and social impacts in the UK, and evaluate the effectiveness of intervention strategies. Risks are regularly reviewed and prioritised for action to ensure our approach remains targeted and cost-effective.

We also share knowledge internationally through collaboration on risk analysis and we work with industry to gain trade intelligence. The UK takes a leading role in driving even higher international standards, influencing regulations in Europe and beyond, to ensure there is an emphasis on risk-based and evidence-led approaches. In 2017 we launched the Plant Health Information Portal as an online hub where information on plant pests and the latest guidance can be found.

Changes since our departure from the EU

Since the UK left the EU on 31 December 2020, plant health measures have been reviewed and re-scoped in order to focus on the biosecurity risk to Great Britain.

We have introduced a requirement to conduct plant health inspections of regulated goods imported from the EU to Great Britain, and to inspect and issue phytosanitary certificates for exports of goods to the EU. We have increased the number of plant health inspectors to cope with the new requirements and ensure businesses can continue to trade smoothly with the EU.

To support businesses in adopting the new EU-Great Britain requirements, we introduced the new EU import measures in phases:

• phase 1 (from 1 January 2021) - EU high priority goods, that is those which present the greatest potential risk to UK biosecurity, required a phytosanitary certificate, pre-notification and risk-based checks at a registered Place of Destination
• phase 2 (from 1 January 2022) - a larger scope of EU goods were required to be pre-notified in order to be imported into Great Britain

No further controls are planned to be introduced during 2022 on EU goods imported into Great Britain. We will publish details of a revised import regime for Great Britain in the coming months. The new regime will be simple, efficient, effective, and precisely suited to our own needs. We will harness the benefits of digitalisation, make best use of data and adopt the latest technology to ensure we maintain and enhance our world class biosecurity standards. We will work with our trading partners, encouraging them to reciprocate, so that UK exporters can enjoy the same benefits.

Controls of personal imports from the EU and on passengers arriving from the EU are being phased in to be consistent with controls on commercial goods. This includes goods brought into Great Britain via passenger baggage, post or courier. As of 1 January 2022, personal imports of all high-priority plants (which includes all plants for planting) and plant products arriving from the EU require a phytosanitary certificate and may be subject to risk-based checks.

Regulating trade inland

If potential threats arrive in Great Britain, we want to make sure that they are detected as early as possible, and that measures are put in place to prevent any further spread to unaffected areas. We also want to ensure that established pests and pathogens are not present at unacceptable levels on planting material which is being traded within Great Britain.

The plant passport system provides a robust system by which regulated plants and plant products moving within Great Britain are monitored, and assurance is provided about their health status. Any plants for planting, wood and some seeds intended for commercial use must have a plant passport, issued by an officially authorised business, providing confirmation that prescribed pest and disease requirements have been met. Plant passports differ from phytosanitary certificates (which govern movements between third countries and are issued by the plant health authority).

This system ensures the plants are traceable in the event of an outbreak or if there are any other issues arising within the supply chain. In 2021, we launched online training operators in Great Britain, which included requirements to issue plant passports and aimed to increase awareness via regular newsletters.

Preparing for outbreaks

Defra also has an outbreak preparedness structure in place, composed of the Plant Health Outbreak Readiness Board (PHORB) and 5 working groups, to monitor outbreak response needs and fill any gaps in preparedness. While the PHORB primarily covers England, the devolved governments also participate on the board to share best practice and encourage collaboration and harmonisation where appropriate.

We have prepared, or are currently developing, generic plant health contingency plans, which outline how to respond to the outbreak of a plant pest, which are periodically updated. Pest specific contingency plans have also been prepared for certain high-risk pests, covering measures additional to what is required in the generic contingency plan. Both the generic contingency plan and the pest specific plans, such as those for emerald ash borer and Xylella, ensure we can respond rapidly and effectively in the event of an outbreak.

To enhance protections against specific pests, we have introduced a range of emergency national legislation, to reduce the risk of spread within Great Britain including, for example, the outbreak of the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus).

Alongside support and training for industry, there is also support for land managers available for when an outbreak does occur. This includes advice, guidance and grant funding in certain cases to help contain and reduce the spread of pest and disease outbreaks.

Case study: a day in the life of a plant health inspector

The plant health inspectors have a crucial role in protecting plant health across the agri-food sector, horticulture, and the environment. At border and inland locations their work protects the biosecurity of our country by preventing the introduction and spread of any non-native, potentially harmful plant pests and diseases, together with ensuring our food quality is not compromised.

The work is varied and skilled, requiring continued professional development, including training supported by assessments and competency testing. On a typical day, an inspector could check imported plants, fresh produce, and plant products to make sure they are free from quarantine pests and ensure that all documentation complies with the UK’s import regulations. With the UK’s thriving export trade, exported plants need to be inspected and issued phytosanitary certificates to meet the requirements of the destination country. Plant health inspectors also work to safeguard our food quality and food security by inspecting and certifying seeds and certain agricultural crops growing in our fields such as seed potatoes and cereals to ensure they are true to the stated variety and free from harmful pests.

Andrew Gaunt, Plant Health and Seeds Inspector:

“Plant health is rewarding work, as you never get the same day twice in protecting this island from quarantine pests and diseases, such as Xylella fastidiosa. Half of the food we eat is imported and therefore we work closely with plant health teams across the globe to protect our food and ecosystems. Also, climate change is dynamically changing risks and so we must be knowledgeable, up to date and quick to react in this fast-changing world. The work I do feeds into this global protection, and you feel you are doing something worthwhile for this and future generations.”

Figure 4: Andrew Gaunt, a Plant Health and Seeds Inspector, conducting an inspection of some imports of plants (source: APHA)

Pauline M.A. Jordan, Horticultural and Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) and Plant Health and Seeds Inspector:

“Our current economic and international trade situations demonstrate the necessity for an efficient service to protect our biosecurity. Recently my job has changed to a blended role, merging the 2 vital jobs of plant health and horticultural marketing into one. I have seen strategically the benefit of the dual role at the ports processing third country imports and collecting samples for potato residue testing from wholesalers to name a few. I find my job exciting, challenging and fulfilling as I know that my job is making a difference.

“I now have a better understanding of the HMI standards and am in the position to apply my knowledge and skills daily to this new blended role within the inspectorate.”

Figure 5: Pauline Jordan, a Plant Health Seeds Inspector, examining some imports of tomatoes (source: APHA)

Future focus

Over the next 5 years we will continue to build a world class biosecurity regime through 4 areas of focus: enhancing risk and horizon scanning, strengthening our regulatory regime, ensuring outbreak readiness, and international collaboration.

1. Risk and horizon scanning

We will continue to enhance our risk and horizon scanning approach, by regularly reviewing potential risks, in order to prioritise and target the pests and diseases which pose a high level of risk to Great Britain. We will further develop the UK Plant Health Risk Register to improve our understanding of complex and cumulative risks. The PHRG will work to ensure that risks arising from all origins are addressed through the introduction of targeted actions, such as strengthening the guidance on reporting of notifiable plant pests and pathogens, including increased promotion of the TreeAlert system, and updating regulatory requirements.

We will also work with Botanic Gardens Conservation International to augment the International Plant Sentinel Network, exploring opportunities to include countries in Asia, monitor more UK species in gardens in Europe and enhance thematic and taxonomic networks.

2. Regulatory regime

Over the next 5 years, we will continue to update and adapt our regulatory regime, and ensure it is in line with the latest intelligence on new threats.

This includes completing the implementation of a revised import regime for Great Britain, such as ‘digital by default’ e-certification (or ‘e-Phyto’) for plants to ensure their traceability and security of data, as well as encouraging compliance through the use of new civil sanctions. We will also develop and roll out a UK phytosanitary Third Country audit programme and introduce a new personal imports policy. We will also explore opportunities from Earned Recognition and Trusted Trader principles.

As part of the consultation for this strategy, we asked for feedback on additional biosecurity measures for high-risk trees. An initial analysis of responses indicates broad support for further action in this area. The holding of widely traded trees in absolute quarantine facilities is unlikely to be a practical approach, but we will explore a risk-based approach which is a combination of further prohibitions, enhanced inspections and enforced holding for prescribed periods (in isolation or on nursery sites) for high-risk tree imports. More rigorous analysis of the evidence, including consultation with industry and consideration of land space requirements and operation costs, will be undertaken.

3. Outbreak readiness

We will continue to co-ordinate outbreak preparedness activities and monitor our preparedness for our priority pests through the PHORB. We will keep our existing contingency plans under review, as well as develop further pest specific contingency plans. These will include but are not limited to plans for Anoplophora chinensis (citrus longhorn beetle), Ips amitinus, Ips duplicatus, Beet curly top virus, and Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (red palm weevil). The Welsh Government will also develop a Wales-specific generic contingency plan.

To ensure we can respond to outbreaks more effectively, we will be developing a co-ordinated UK-wide Plant Health Service training and exercise programme for outbreak responders. We will also include plant health outbreaks on the National Security Risk Assessment and National Risk Register to raise awareness of threats and impacts.

Ensuring that industry, landowners, stakeholders and the public are supported to act and kept well informed during an outbreak will also be a priority and we will develop a generic outbreak communications plan for official use. We will also develop a number of Plant Health IT systems to support the needs of outbreak readiness, emergency response and information sharing.

4. International ambitions

Recognising that international activities and representation are essential to our ability to monitor and assess risk, surveillance of the spread of pests, and our readiness for an outbreak, this strategy focuses on a collaborative international outlook.

We will continue to co-ordinate international activities and representation through the NPPO group. In addition, a UK Plant Health International Action Plan will be developed to implement our international ambitions from 2022 to 2025. This includes building overseas capability by delivering technical assistance, training, interchange opportunities and capacity building programmes to other countries. It will also support the implementation of the IPPC Strategic Framework (2020 to 2030) that encourages safe trade and the prevention of spreading plant pests and diseases. We will also add plant health to the International Hazard Forward Look, a cross-government tool used to track the evolving situation of natural hazards overseas. We will support the development of international standards and guidance through participation on EPPO, IPPC and other international panels and groups.

In September 2022, the UK co-hosted an International Plant Health Conference, with the Secretariat of the IPPC to discuss the global challenges facing plant health regimes today. The 3-day conference explored scientific, technical and regulatory issues on plant health with an audience that included scientists, academics, policymakers, practitioners and the wider public, to help inform the future approach on plant health internationally.

3.2 Outcome 2: A society that values healthy plants

In this section we set out how we are raising awareness of the importance of healthy plants and trees and encouraging the adoption of responsible behaviours across society.

Overview: public awareness

Everyone in the UK plays a vital role in protecting the health of our plants and trees. Increased public awareness about actions that can protect plant health have a demonstrable effect on preventing introductions and halting the spread of pests and diseases. This can include people taking extra care when buying plants, complying with regulations when bringing plants or plant products back from abroad, or washing their shoes after visiting a woodland so as not to risk spreading disease further.

We want to create a society that values healthy plants and trees, understands that these values are threatened, makes positive choices, and takes action to safeguard those values. To do this we will ensure that everyone:

• recognises the value that healthy plants have in their everyday lives
• understands that these values are under threat
• is clear about the links between their actions and choices and the risks to the environment, and is empowered to adopt positive behaviour change
• understands their responsibility to act
• feels part of a national biosecurity culture where individuals know their role and where risky behaviours are considered socially unacceptable

Over the last 10 years we have run numerous campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of plant health and biosecurity. These have been targeted at the general public and other key audiences.

In 2020, we launched a UK campaign to publicise the International Year of Plant Health, in collaboration with over 15 organisations. This included the establishment of the UK’s first National Plant Health Week and creation of a freely available children’s activity book called ‘Izzy the Inspector’ (or ‘Anni yr Archwilydd’ in Welsh). A public facing ‘Plant Health Action’ website, where the public can access information and resources about good plant biosecurity behaviour, was also used to highlight the week and promote events hosted by partners.

As part of National Plant Health Week, Scotland’s Plant Health Centre released a set of 5 key principles outlining important steps to protect Scotland’s plant resources. They hosted an annual Plant Health Conference in June 2022, which was targeted at stakeholders from, and involved in, the horticulture, landscaping, forestry, and agriculture sectors and aimed to increase stakeholder awareness of plant biosecurity and current plant and tree health issues.

The Welsh Government, in partnership with APHA, launched the Wales Plant Health Sentinel Site Network in 2019, a plant and tree health monitoring programme whose members include parks and gardens across Wales.

APHA, in partnership with the governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland supported the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation by launching the UK version of the ‘Don’t Risk It’ campaign. The messaging asks the travelling public not to bring plants, flowers, fruit or vegetables into the UK from trips overseas. An APHA exhibit based on this campaign won a gold medal at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show in 2022.

The Forestry Commission and Scottish Forestry launched a ‘Keep it Clean’ campaign, providing simple, practical advice to foresters, arboriculturists and landscapers and members of the public on measures they can take to help limit the spread of pests and diseases.

Figure 6: One of the Welsh Sentinel Network Sites (Bodelwyddan) (source: Welsh Government)

Citizen science

Citizen science refers to any scientific project where volunteers perform research-related tasks such as observation or measurement. Some of the ways that Citizen Science projects can help safeguard plant health are:

• detection, surveillance and early warning of a pest or disease
• supporting official surveillance and outbreak management
• supporting research into particular pests and diseases
• mapping particular pests and diseases
• capturing the values of our plants including the ecosystem services of healthy plants, assessing the value loss due to a particular pest and disease, and providing evidence to build the case for intervention

The UK government and the devolved governments have worked with partners from the public and charitable sectors to deliver Observatree, a tree health early warning system based on citizen science that supports official surveillance on tree health. This partnership project involves Forest Research, Fera Science Ltd, the Woodland Trust, the National Trust, and government. The project has developed a UK wide network of trained volunteers to survey trees and report the presence of 22 high priority pests. Observatree volunteers have completed nearly 14,000 surveys in 6 years, including 2,489 reports of priority pests and diseases, providing valuable information to support both policy and operational decisions. Central to Observatree’s success has been the development of TreeAlert, a tree health reporting tool run by Forest Research that feeds into the government surveillance system.

Forest Research received a record number of pest and disease reports through TreeAlert in the past year from April 2021 to March 2022. The overall number of enquiries increased for the second year in a row, rising by almost 25% from 3,063 in 2020 to 2021, to 3,790 in 2021 to 2022. The most reported pests and diseases were oak processionary moth and ash dieback, respectively.

Education and training

From an early age, we are taught the principles of good biosecurity, from washing our hands and wiping our feet, to cleaning our teeth, to protecting our health and that of our family and friends. When we start school, we are taught about the natural environment and why plants are important in providing both the food that we eat and the environment we live in. Unknowingly, we begin to build an understanding of biosecurity by learning about subjects that are close to home and important to us.

As we progress through primary and secondary school, we start to investigate, inquire, and understand about the science behind plants and their importance with respect to global matters such as climate change. Once we leave formal education our interest in science may lead to a career working with plants where we continue to build our competency in biosecurity through further education or on-the-job training.

Government and key partners have taken a range of actions to improve education and training on plant health and address the varied levels of knowledge and skills across different audiences.

Education

Plant diseases are now included in the English GCSE and A-level curriculum as part of communicable diseases with the inclusion of emerging plant health problems, such as ash dieback.

Fera Science Ltd has been involved in working with the National Stem Learning Centre training secondary school teachers and laboratory assistants in practical techniques for plant pathology, in addition to work with Gatsby funded Science and Plants for Schools. We have created a Master’s degree in Plant Pathology and Post Graduate Certificate in Plant Health and Biosecurity in partnership with Harper Adams University.

We have funded a Plant Health Undergraduate Studentship Scheme co-ordinated by the Royal Society of Biology, providing paid summer internships for the past 3 years. This has been used to leverage further studentships from well informed societies, such as the British Society of Plant Pathology, building a portfolio of 10 studentships per annum.

We have successfully supported the Gatsby Plant Sciences Summer School engaging with over 1,000 undergraduate students and teachers during the last 10 years.

Training

We have worked with the Royal Society of Biology to develop a new National Plant Health and Biosecurity competency framework and Plant Health Professional Register, with over 80 professionals now registered, to recognise and develop competency.

Observatree have produced a series of training materials to help volunteers identify pests and pathogens.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have designed Endeavour, a training resource for teachers to deliver inspiring lessons about plant science and the environment.

The Royal Horticultural Society have published gardening webpages as a public resource for gardening advice on different pests and diseases and good biosecurity practice.

Forestry Commission have produced e-Learning modules, which are widely available for land managers on the threats to trees, including how to practice biosecure woodland management. Several of the Environmental Land Management pilots will pay land managers to complete this training.

Case study: National Plant Health Week

A legacy of the International Year of Plant Health 2020, National Plant Health Week is an annual designated week of action to raise awareness and increase engagement on how to keep our plants healthy. It is an exciting opportunity to celebrate our plants and contribute towards being the first generation to leave the environment in a better condition than we found it.

National Plant Health Week is a collaborative effort from over 20 organisations, including government, the Royal Horticultural Society and the Horticultural Trades Association. With an emphasis on working together, the participants can reach a larger audience and more effectively communicate and amplify vital messages surrounding plant health.

The week focuses on a key theme each day, to address important topics that will benefit plants and encourage society to enjoy and protect the plants around them. These themes often include ‘how to source your plants safely’ and ‘how to get involved as a citizen scientist’ which has included asking the public to ‘Check a Sweet Chestnut’ for signs of oriental chestnut gall wasp. Focusing on one key message each day allows us to communicate important actions we can all take to practice good biosecurity and promote a healthy future for our plants.

Some key highlights have included:

• Gardener’s World presenter Adam Frost supported National Plant Health Week by taking part in a tree health podcast for Gardeners’ World Magazine
• singer and broadcaster Cerys Matthews MBE gave a poetry reading on plants and trees to support the week
• APHA launched a science activity book for children called ‘Izzy the Inspector’ (or ‘Anni yr Archwilydd’ in Welsh) - to date 5,000 ‘Izzy the Inspector’ activity books have reached schools and educational programmes
• we co-funded a ‘Plant Defenders’ programme that engages children within the Girl Guiding movement on the importance of plant pathology and the steps they can take to keep our plants healthy

Figure 7: King Charles III viewing a plant health exhibit during the International Year of Plant Health (source: APHA)

Future focus 

Over the next 5 years we will continue to build a society that values plants through 4 areas of focus: raising awareness, education, training and citizen science.

1. Raising awareness and encouraging behaviour change to protect plant health

Increasing public awareness of plant health and biosecurity will be more important than ever and we will continue to work together to raise the public’s general awareness of the value of healthy plants and promote positive behavioural change.

We have developed a new Public Engagement in Plant Health Accord, which we announced at the RHS Chelsea Flower 2022. The accord, signed by over 30 organisations, signals our joint commitment to work together on plant health awareness raising and encouraging positive behaviours. The accord also includes statements from signatories setting out the specific steps they will take to engage with the public and encourage positive actions to protect plant health. For more details on the accord, please refer to the Action Plan in Annex C. We will engage with the public through the ‘National Conversation about Plant Health’ project, which will inform how we design our future campaigns to raise awareness both of key plant health threats and risks and the actions people should take to help minimise them.

Our National Plant Health Week, encompassing the International Day of Plant Health on 12 May, will continue annually.

2. Education

Education at all ages is vital for people to build an understanding about the importance of healthy plants and the need for good biosecurity practices. We will continue to work with the Royal Society of Biology and the National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Learning Centre to embed biosecurity in the National Curriculum, develop awareness in teachers and develop a network of plant health STEM ambassadors. We will provide online plant health and biosecurity themed resources for primary schools that are linked to the National Curriculum and can be incorporated into lesson plans, for example, ‘Izzy the Inspector’ or ‘Anni yr Archwilydd.’

Through the new Centre for Forest Protection, led by Forest Research and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew which will provide a hub for UK and international research on tree pests and diseases, we will design and deliver a new Master of Science degree (MSc) in Forest Protection and explore further opportunities to promote plant health and biosecurity at the higher education level.

3. Training

We will continue to develop and deliver both formal and informal training for professionals working in plant health related sectors. This is vital to increase capability and the stock of knowledge about plant health issues and good biosecurity practices amongst industry, particularly those who trade in plants. More details on this work can be found under outcome 3.

We will expand the Royal Society of Biology Plant Health Professional register to encourage greater participation across sectors. Working in partnership we will also develop engaging e-learning modules for amateur gardeners, and support others in developing bespoke biosecurity training modules and resources, for example, the Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture’s biosecurity modules, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew’s Endeavour online learning platform, the Royal Horticultural Society’s qualifications in Biosecurity and Plant Health, the Tree Council’s Toolkits for Local Authorities and the British Association of Landscape Industries’ training for landscapers.

The Welsh Sentinel Site Network will also continue to evolve and grow, including delivery of new training events and communications activities.

4. Citizen science projects

Government and partners are committed to providing funding and support over the next 5 years for Phase 3 of the Observatree project. Future investment will allow improvements to reporting, feedback and data use. We will also work to extend the reach of the project by continuing to support the development of the lead volunteer role and their local networks as well as through new partnerships and collaborations, most notably with the Tree Council.

We will invest in and support the further development of the TreeAlert reporting tool, to improve report submission and to develop procedures so that data can be readily reported out to the sector and acted upon. We will continue to provide regular feedback on TreeAlert reports and create a user community for tree health reporting to inform action on the ground. The Scottish Government will support the Dandelion School Growing Initiative (commissioned by Visit Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government), a citizen science project for school children, the largest community-led growing experiment comparing future farming techniques with traditional growing methods.

We will also work with partners across the tree health Citizen Science Network to publish a learning pathway to raise awareness of opportunities to get involved in citizen science and support efforts to protect the nation’s trees.

3.3 Outcome 3: A biosecure plant supply chain

In this section we set out how government and industry work in partnership to support a biosecure plant supply chain, and how creating a biosecure supply chain is vital to safeguarding the health of our plants.

Overview: The plant supply chain

A biosecure plant supply chain is one where everyone involved in the trade or movement of plants takes collective responsibility to make sure that they can access the tools, resources, training and information they need to make informed choices on plant biosecurity. This includes everyone from importers, growers and seed producers, to landscapers, retailers, consumers and government. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and it is essential that each point along the supply chain is taking the necessary steps to practice good biosecurity.

Figure 8: Overview of the different stages of a plant supply chain (source: modified version of a schematic from the Horticultural Trades Association)

Plants and plant material are produced or imported by distributors, growers, and traders. The plants then move to either landscapers, domestic landscapers, or garden designers, online or mail order suppliers, or retailers and garden centres. From there the plants are either planted in the wider environment (green spaces) or consumer’s green spaces (for example, gardens or allotments).

The global trade in plants and plant commodities is important both to maintain the level of choice demanded by consumers and to allow the option to grow plants that are more suited to future climate conditions. However, this trade brings an increased risk of invasive pests and pathogens to the country. Increased volumes of imported plants and plant products, including online sales, provide further challenges for monitoring and regulation to facilitate safe trade.

However, imports are not the only issue, as there are a number of harmful pests and pathogens already present in our wider environment, for example, oak processionary moth and Phytophthora ramorum. We need to reduce the risk of spreading these further. This means that good standards of biosecurity are needed regardless of whether plants are imported or grown in the UK. It is therefore essential that all plants are sourced from reputable suppliers who build robust biosecurity practices into every stage of their supply chain.

Strengthening biosecurity along the supply chain

We work with all the different plant sectors, including growers, traders, landscapers, retailers, foresters and arborists, to support and promote best practice along each of their supply chains. This includes raising awareness of biosecurity risks and providing support for professional training and education to build capability. This work is supported by extensive engagement with stakeholder groups such as the UK Plant Health Advisory Forum, the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group, and the UK Plant Health Alliance.

We also undertake a lot of public engagement work, recognising the important role that the public has in helping to create a market demand for plants produced under high standards of plant health management.

Some initiatives government is involved with include:

• the promotion of the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme across the plant sectors to encourage uptake of the scheme, working alongside the Plant Health Alliance
• the development of new online training resources about plant health and biosecurity, working with Fera Science Ltd, to support the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme
• the launch of a 12-month pilot of a new biosecure procurement requirement for suppliers of plants and trees under the Forestry Commission’s England Woodland Creation Offer grant scheme and Tree Health restocking grant scheme, in June 2022
• implementation of APHA’s Internet Trading Unit, which monitors internet and social media sites trading in plants, focusing initially on areas such as commodities which are prohibited entry into the UK, and consignments that are considered of particular high risk
• the development of APHA’s Internet Trading Unit programme of engagement to inform people of UK biosecurity requirements and deals with queries relating to online and distance sales from businesses and the public
• regular engagement with trade and forestry sectors, including delivery of training materials such as online e-learning modules on plant passporting, videos and information sessions, and exhibiting and speaking at trade conferences and shows

Assurance schemes

Assurance schemes are a voluntary way for members of the plant trade to demonstrate that they meet certain standards of plant production or to certify a place of origin for their stock. While many incorporate some elements of biosecurity, others, such as the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme, are solely focused on driving up standards of biosecurity and plant health management. All are aimed at encouraging people who grow or handle plants professionally to act responsibly.

Some examples of assurance schemes include:

• the Plant Health Alliance’s ‘Plant Healthy Certification Scheme,’ which certifies that all businesses or organisations who grow, trade and handle plants and plant material do so responsibly and safely
• the Woodland Trust ‘UK & Ireland Sourced and Grown’ scheme, certifying that trees have been raised from seed sourced and grown solely within the UK and Ireland for their entire lifespan
• the Horticultural Trades Association ‘Ornamental Horticulture Assurance Scheme’ (OHAS) Grower Standard, which covers a broad scope of operations relevant to the ornamentals sector such as health and safety, sustainability, efficiency and best practice
• the Safe Haven Certification Scheme is a farm assurance scheme aimed at providing practical prevention against potato ring rot and safeguarding the future of Britain’s potato industry

The Plant Healthy Certification Scheme has proved popular since its launch in February 2020, with over 26 nurseries certified, and many more in the pipeline. Current scheme members and applicants cover a broad range of sectors including forestry, ornamental horticulture, online suppliers, retailers, and public gardens.

The OHAS Grower Standard has now been aligned with the requirements of the Plant Health Management Standard. This provides a more streamlined process for growers who wish to become members of both the OHAS and the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme.

Increasing domestic production

Despite having similar growing conditions to countries such as the Netherlands, which enables domestic production of a wide range of plants and planting material, the UK remains a net importer of plants. In 2019, the UK imported an estimated £1.2 billion worth of ornamental horticultural goods.

Increasing our domestic production will make an important contribution to reducing the risk of importing harmful pests and pathogens due to lowering reliance on imports. It will also provide significant benefits to local economies, environmental protection and sustainability. Government will continue to invest in our nurseries as they play a vital role in growing the high-quality plants that we need now more than ever before.

Through the Nature for Climate Fund, Defra are supporting the tree production sector to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of our domestic seed and sapling supply, to avoid reliance on imports and enhance biosecurity. This includes the launch of a new Tree Production Innovation Fund which has supported a wide range of projects designed to overcome barriers to forest nursery production, through increased germination and establishment rates, automation of labour-intensive processes, and development of sustainable weed control solutions. The new Seed Sourcing Grant supports UK seed production and further funding has been made available in capital grants to enhance biosecurity and expand domestic nursery capacity at pace.

Forestry England’s nursery and seed processing facilities are also being modernised and expanded. All trees planted by Forestry England in a forestry setting are UK grown and this position has been upheld for the last 3 years. Similarly, in Scotland, all trees planted by Forestry and Land Scotland on the public estate are UK sown and grown. The Scottish Government provides funding to help increase domestic tree production, for example, £20 million investment in 2021 to support Forestry and Land Scotland to increase nursery size and capacity. Scottish Forestry provides funding to support sustainable woodland creation across Scotland. Through the Timber Business Investment Scheme and Forest Industry Recovery Scheme, the Welsh Government has supported investment in Welsh nurseries to increase their capacity.

The Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group’s Action Plan ‘Unlocking Green Growth’ published in September 2021 also identifies ways that barriers to the UK’s horticulture and landscaping industry’s growth can be unlocked through a collaborative approach between government and industry.

Case Study: Plant Healthy at Wyevale Nurseries

Wyevale nurseries joined the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme in April 2020 to demonstrate leadership in UK biosecurity and plant health. The Plant Healthy scheme is run by the Plant Health Alliance with the aim of driving up plant health management standards in the UK by making it easy to identify businesses or organisations that trade and grow plants to high plant health and biosecurity standards. By sourcing plants from Plant Healthy nurseries, the risk of introducing or spreading destructive plant pests and pathogens is reduced, safeguarding supply chains.

Kyle Ross, Production Manager at Wyevale, talks about his experience of the Plant Healthy scheme:

“Our nursery already had pre-existing protocols in place but being Plant Healthy Certified gives us the opportunity to really shout about the good work we do.

“Having a scheme like this in place that not just plant and crop producers, but anyone who works in plants (such as landscapers, garden centres, retailers) can sign up to is a huge benefit to UK horticulture, and really shows a united front against pest and disease threats.

“The process of becoming certified was thorough and efficient, with clear guidance on what the scheme criteria mean and how to achieve compliance. The team behind Plant Healthy have been nothing but helpful, the resources available on the website are clear and easy to use, and there are some fantastic training programmes available.

“Becoming certified gives our customers confidence that plants purchased from our business are 100% compliant with all biosecurity and plant health regulations, and that we have taken proactive steps to secure our business, including rigorous plant inspections, training of staff in pest and disease management and introduction of dedicated quarantine zones should they be required.

“Scheme leader Alistair Yeomans and I gave a webinar recently to the Young People in Horticulture Association about Plant Healthy to spread the word about the scheme. Peer to peer communication about this new initiative is exactly the kind of thing the horticulture industry needs, as having as many businesses certified across the UK as possible will lead to a safer supply chain for everyone.”

Plant Healthy logo (copyright Plant Healthy Ltd). This is the official logo of the Plant Healthy assurance scheme.

Future focus

Over the next 5 years we will continue to support a biosecure supply chain through 3 areas of focus: intelligence and monitoring, assuring supply chains and domestic production.

1. Intelligence and monitoring

We will work with industry to improve intelligence on horticultural and tree supply chains, their resilience and bottlenecks. We will publish the official statistics on the plant health trade and explore new data sharing practices to improve supply and demand planning. We will also enhance APHA’s Internet Trading Unit to increase monitoring of internet trading and social media sites and raise awareness of biosecurity requirements on these platforms.

2. Assuring supply chains

We will continue to work with the Plant Health Alliance on the promotion of the Plant Healthy certification scheme, which is aimed at driving up standards of plant health management across all sectors and their supply chains. The Plant Health Alliance, as the owner of the Plant Health Management Standard and associated Plant Healthy scheme, will publish a 5-year roadmap, setting out the key aims and vision for the scheme’s future development.

We will continue to implement a new programme of post-planting inspections on higher risk tree imports, to aid the detection of latent pests and diseases.

Defra will implement a phased roll-out of a biosecure procurement requirement across government grants and contracts, such that suppliers of plants and trees will need to demonstrate best practice by meeting the requirements of the published Plant Health Management Standard.

Defra will reward and incentivise good biosecurity practices through the Environmental Land Management and other Future Farming schemes. As we transition from the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy towards a wholly new approach for the agricultural industry and environment management, farmers and land managers will be rewarded for taking actions to improve the environment. This includes using advice, guidance, and grants to encourage biosecure practices for treescape creation and management, reducing the internal spread of pests and diseases (for example, on contaminated equipment).

We will support the sector to raise biosecurity standards and showcase best practices. Examples include:

• the Royal Horticultural Society’s development of biosecurity focused procurement standards, and commitment to be biosecurity neutral by 2025
• the International Plant Sentinel Network (run by BGCI) commitment on biosecure seed exchange between botanic gardens
• the British Association of Landscape Industries’ commitment to create a culture of biosecurity awareness amongst its landscaping membership

3. Domestic production

In the Food Strategy White Paper, we announced that a Horticulture Strategy for England will be developed, which will examine the diverse roles of small, large and emerging growing models across edible and ornamental sectors, and aim to drive high tech, controlled environment horticulture, to increase domestic production.

We will work with the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group explore the opportunities identified in their action plan ‘Unlocking Green Growth’ to accelerate the sector’s growth.

We will invest in the quality, quantity and diversity of domestic tree, seed, and sapling supply. The Nature for Climate Fund Sector Capacity Project will provide up to £14.8 million up until 2025. This will include continued provision of capital and innovation grants to tree nurseries. The Tree Production Innovation Fund will provide up to £4.8 million to develop and operationalise new technologies and at least £4.8 million will be made available for capital investment via the new Tree Production Capital Grant. Additionally, the Seed Sourcing Grant will provide up to £1.2m to expand and improve our domestic seed sources.

3.4 Outcome 4: an enhanced technical capability

Building plant health capability and making best use of existing and innovative science and technology, to keep pace with changing threats and ensure preparedness for the future.

Overview

Since the last plant biosecurity strategy was published in 2014, we have invested over £100 million in plant health research and development (including research investment by UKRI and government bodies across England, Scotland and Wales). But enhancing our technical capability and improving our plant health regime even further will require continued and sustained investment. This includes the need to develop new products, processes, and knowledge to remain constantly abreast of changing threats and potential mitigations, ensuring we are prepared for the future. Putting innovation at the heart of our approach and investing in world class knowledge, products and technologies will not only help to protect plant health but also drive scientific growth and create skilled jobs for our sector.

Research and development

Research and development activities increase our stock of knowledge, and the use of this knowledge can help to find solutions to challenges we face. It allows us to discover, assess and share data and knowledge about new threats, diagnose and monitor pests and pathogens that pose a threat or are spreading, and identify the best management practices to protect different hosts.

It also enables us to explore how plant landscapes can be more resilient to stresses including climate change and pests and diseases. This includes understanding and using the genetic basis for tolerance and adaptation to stresses. Our interdisciplinary approach includes both social and natural science activities, and spans basic research, applied research and experimental development.

Key research needs include:

• risk assessment and horizon scanning - understanding pest and pathogen biology, risk factors and pathways, climatic modelling and host vulnerability
• inspections, diagnostics and surveillance - modelling the distribution and spread of pests and pathogens, and developing and optimising approaches to surveillance, detection and diagnostic tools
• management of key pests and diseases - including development of nature-based solutions such as biological control, and guidance and toolkits for landowners and data management tools
• resilience and adaptation - ensuring baseline diversity, health and condition to deliver resilient landscapes and understanding genetic variation and the genetic basis for plant tolerance to pests and diseases to allow us to make landscapes more resilient
• plant health behaviours - understanding what motivates and constrains individuals and groups to achieve plant health outcomes, overcoming the knowledge to action gap and the quantification of the social and cultural values of trees and woods
• evaluation - developing evaluation frameworks, indicators and metrics to help us measure the success of our plant health policies

Harnessing emerging technology

Through our interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary approaches, we can identify opportunities to make use of cutting-edge science and emerging technologies and apply them to plant health challenges.

For example, recent advances in genomics have revolutionised plant health science, with genome sequences now established for many hosts, pests and pathogens. DNA diagnostics are rapidly advancing, with the ability to detect pathogen virulence factors in samples of plant material, identify individual isolates and understand the epidemiology of pest and disease outbreaks. Third generation sequencing technology may enable even more rapid detection rates, and trials of rapid on-site diagnostics at points of entry are underway. These technologies are also allowing us to identify viral and bacterial species that are hard to detect visually, both in the broader environment and in trade consignments at checkpoints. However, challenges and opportunities remain to embed such technologies within our biosecurity regime. We continue to work with research partners, such as Fera Science Ltd, to drive improvements in such innovations, and to assess the feasibility of their application in a routine operational context.

We now have an improved understanding of the genetic diversity of many plant species and how this might be linked to traits of interest such as tolerance to stresses, including pests and disease. For example, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, are working to identify markers for tolerance to tree pests and diseases in ash and oak that could help us understand how to optimise host adaptation to local environments and biotic threats, and to target future breeding and seed sourcing programmes. As part of a £48 million per annum strategic research programme for the environment, natural resources and agriculture, Scottish Government supports innovative genetic research to enable the industry to grow more resilient potato, cereal and soft fruit crops.

Working together across Great Britain

There is broad consensus on the need to align and co-ordinate plant health research priorities and programmes across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This role is currently undertaken by the Animal and Plant Health Science Partnership for the UK and by the UK Plant Health Evidence Co-ordination Group. The latter being a core component of the UK Plant Health Service, which co-ordinates research activities to inform official risk assessment, outbreak response and surveillance strategies. In addition, tree health research is also a priority theme of the Forestry Science and Innovation Strategy for Great Britain and is co-ordinated by the 3 nations under devolution agreements.

Achieving our future plant health ambitions will continue to require a fully collaborative approach across funders, researchers, stakeholders and users, including the co-design of research projects and knowledge exchange throughout project lifetimes. This will ensure problems are fully understood and appropriate solutions are developed, shared and implemented to deliver maximum impact.

Across Great Britain, research and development activities are carried out by a wide range of public, commercial and not-for-profit providers with expertise ranging across the forestry, horticulture, agriculture and environmental sectors. Government departments invest in research organisations to generate evidence that informs statutory obligations and plant health policies. For example, Fera Science Ltd is a joint venture between government and Capita established in 2015 which provides services to government. Defra has recently funded the building of the new £5 million Holt Quarantine Laboratory at Forest Research in Surrey. The Scottish Government has established the Plant Health Centre and continues to invest in SASA, which, like Fera Science Ltd in England, provides the plant health National Reference Laboratory for Scotland and technical support in the form of laboratory diagnosis of pests and diseases, scientific advice, training, and the development of new methods and technologies. The Welsh Government has provided financial support for the new Welsh Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences. The science undertaken by these organisations includes both long-term programmes of strategic research and more applied, responsive research to meet government’s needs.

Government also supports wider collaborations in plant health research and development. For example, the Welsh Government launched the Wales Plant Health Sentinel Site Network in 2019, in collaboration with APHA and 22 parks and gardens across Wales. Action Oak is an initiative to protect our oak trees that brings together over 30 different partners including governments, NGOs and research agencies. The partnership leverages and funds research to improve understanding of the threats to our oak trees and inform management practice, whilst also working directly with owners and managers to protect the species. The partnership is currently overseeing 13 PhDs and research projects on topics relating to oak health.

UKRI invests in basic, strategic and applied innovation and research, including long term programmes of strategic research. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Defra and the Scottish Government recently co-funded the £19 million Bacterial Plant Diseases Programme. The first phase was the £5 million BRIGIT research project, which built the UK’s capability to respond to a Xylella outbreak. Further detail on this project is outlined in the case study below. The second phase comprises 8 research projects to address a range of threats from bacterial plant pathogens. The NERC Future of UK Treescapes Programme began in 2021 and provides £14.5 million for projects to inform decision making on the expansion and resilience of current and future treescapes. It is co-funded by Defra, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, AHRC and ESRC.

The BBSRC also funds wider work on plant health, including via BBSRC strategic support for the John Innes Centre, Rothamstead Research, Earlham Institute and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Science. In addition, the Plant Health Institute Strategic Programme, is a cross institute initiative between the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory, which focuses on research to understand the mechanisms of infection of plants by pathogens, knowledge which is being used to drive the development of crops more resistant to disease.

Similarly, UKRI supports Crop Health and Protection Ltd (CHAP), one of the four UK Agri-tech Centres for Agricultural Innovation funded by Innovate UK. CHAP brings together researchers, industry and government to accelerate identification, development and adoption of innovative crop solutions. CHAP has partnered with 9 centres of excellence, creating state-of-the-art research facilities.

We also invest in the UK’s technical capability through the active curation of collections of physical specimens and data. For example, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew house the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. The 8.5 million items held in their collections represent approximately 95% of vascular plant genera and 60% of known fungal genera. The Rothamsted Insect Survey has been ongoing across the UK since 1964, and Forest Research holds the most comprehensive range, depth and longevity of forestry datasets in the UK, with data on trees, woods and forests dating back to the 1920s and the largest number of forest-based experiments in the UK, with just under 2,000 experimental sites.

Beyond government a wide range of activities are supported by commercial and not-for–profit organisations. As one example, the Woodland Trust invests in research to support their evidence-based decision making. This includes in-house work such as their State of Woods and Trees report, and support for research grants and PhDs.

International collaboration

Plant health scientists also build and maintain international relationships for mutual benefit. Global collaborations lead to a global upskilling of capability and ensure rapid, multilateral sharing of technical capability for plant health. Understanding pests and pathogen behaviours in other countries helps British scientists and practitioners understand where lessons can be learned to strengthen our own biosecurity and emergency response. Conversely, British research organisations also participate in projects to enhance technical capacity in other countries, thus contributing to a stronger global plant biosecurity regime.

Our participation in formalised international networks allows us to co-fund and collaborate with other countries on plant health research, as well as monitor and share data on specific pests and pathogens. These networks include:

• Euphresco, a network of around 70 organisations from 50 countries to support coordination and collaboration in phytosanitary research
• EPPO Panels and IPPC expert working groups, where our representatives ensure that regional and international diagnostic protocols are up to date and fit for purpose
• the International Plant Sentinel Network, led by Botanic Gardens Conservation International - this network of gardens and arboreta acts as an early warning system by sharing information about the global distribution of pests and diseases on different hosts around the world

We also collaborate with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and other teams on the Gilbert Initiative. This initiative aims to build resilient food systems through monitoring and managing emerging and endemic plant and animal pests. This will be achieved by developing and delivering new technology and systems on early warning, preparedness and response, and strengthening capacity to ensure that these technologies and systems are sustainable.

Skills pipeline

An important part of enhancing capability is ensuring a skills pipeline and training the next generation of plant health scientists. In 2020, the first Plant Health Summit for Future Leaders was hosted by the Royal Society of Biology. This engaged with a diverse range of participants both nationally and internationally to understand the opportunities and challenges within plant health and mechanisms to seek change.

In recent years, government has supported postgraduate studies and training opportunities in a number of ways, including:

• Plant Health Apprenticeship Programmes
• individual PhD studies
• partnering with established Doctoral and Fellowship schemes including opportunities led by UKRI and schemes led by other organisations
• working with Fera Science Ltd and Harper Adams University to develop the UK’s first Masters’ postgraduate course in plant health and biosecurity

Many of the students involved in these initiatives have now begun successful scientific careers in plant health institutions across the UK.

Case study: Bacterial Plant Diseases Programme

The £19 million Bacterial Plant Diseases (BPD) research programme is a collection of projects aimed at understanding and addressing diseases of crops and trees in the UK. Diseases such as blackleg in potato, and canker in cherry, mean financial losses for farmers, and reduce the amount of food reaching our tables. Diseases such as acute oak decline threaten the trees that are home to a huge amount of biodiversity. The programme was co-funded by BBSRC, Defra and Scottish Government to address these diseases, and to increase the number of researchers working on bacterial diseases of plants.

The largest project in the programme – BRIGIT, focussed on the threat posed by Xylella fastidiosa. Xylella affects a wide range of plants and has devastated olive groves in Puglia, Italy.

The BRIGIT project was led by the John Innes Centre and was a consortium of 12 organisations across entomology, plant pathology, ecology, epidemiology, genomics, molecular biology and social sciences. The partners included universities and scientists from the government agencies and laboratories responsible for plant health. The scientists in the project had close links with experts from continental Europe and North America which meant they were well informed about current scientific developments.

The outputs of the project included advances in our understanding of the biology of the vectors in northern Europe and the enhanced diagnostic capabilities in overseas plant health laboratories. Entomologists developed guides for the identification of Xylella vectors here in Great Britain and harnessed the help of the public in a survey for the spittlebug vectors. Social scientists explored how stakeholders such as nursery owners viewed the risks relating to the trade in host plants and how they managed these risks.

The project had close integration with plant health scientists, plant health inspectors and policy officials which meant that the outputs were optimised to meet current practical and policy challenges.

Figure 10: Capturing and identifying spittlebugs in the BRIGIT project (copyright John Innes Centre)

Future focus

Government will continue to work with researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to identify evidence needs, and fund research and other activities to enhance technical capability.

1. Sustaining core capability

The newly established Plant Health Evidence and Co-ordination Group, a sub-group of the UK NPPO, will be used to align the strategic research priorities and core Research and Development programmes of Defra, Scottish Government and Welsh Government. As plant health responsibilities are devolved, each nation will continue to fund its own strategic programme of research and review priorities on a regular basis. The Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) funds a 5-year rolling strategic research programme to support rural and environment evidence needs including an annual £4.6 million investment on plant health and crop improvement, with the next iteration starting in 2022.

To support changing requirements, post EU-Exit, we will expand the core diagnostic services provided by SASA and Fera Science Ltd, increasing the number of trained diagnosticians and supporting the creation of new diagnostic facilities to respond to changing trade profiles. The future of the framework agreement with Fera Science Ltd. will be reviewed prior to the current framework’s end date in 2025.

The Scottish Plant Health Centre will continue to bring the sectors for forestry, horticulture, environment, and agriculture together to co-ordinate plant health knowledge, skills, needs and activities across Scotland.

The Welsh Government will continue to fund research into pests and pathogens work. This includes the development of a Wales Surveillance Network which will enable pest and spore trapping and analysis, enabling us to proactively gather and respond to evidence of pests and pathogens in Wales.

Research providers, such as Fera Science Ltd, the Royal Horticultural Society and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew will continue to develop, publish and implement their own research strategies for plant health, linked to government priorities and emphasising their future commitment to plant health research.

We will support delivery by Forest Research, of the tree health and biosecurity elements of the 5-year Science and Innovation Strategy for Forestry in Great Britain. Defra will continue to develop the new Centre for Forest Protection (CFP) led by Forest Research and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew which will provide a hub for UK and International research on tree pests and diseases. From 2022 to 2025 Defra will support a CFP programme comprising 14 research projects and associated education, training, knowledge exchange and outreach activities.

UKRI will continue to support strategic infrastructure and programmes at institutes that provide long-term plant health research capability, for example, the John Innes Centre (JIC), Rothamsted Research, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UK CEH) and UK Agritech centres for Agricultural Innovation. These organisations all work in collaboration with industry and international networks.

2. Collaborating and innovating to enhance capability

We will review the recommendations from the BBSRC Working Group in Plant Health 2021, with the aim of supporting a co-ordinated, vibrant and innovative research community that can develop the knowledge and tools to tackle national and global plant health priorities.

We will encourage collaboration across research providers and sectors, to exploit latest advances in science and facilitate the adoption of new technologies. For example, scientists working across different animal, plant and human challenges could help apply advances in genomics to meet plant health objectives.

We will champion innovative and collaborative funding models like the UK Action Oak research partnership, which aims to leverage funds for research and knowledge exchange on the threats to oak health.

We will work with partners to support the development of plant health skills, baseline data, collections, and research facilities beyond government. For example, the Royal Horticultural Society has invested in the Natural Centre for Horticultural Science and Learning which brings together research facilities, collections, learning spaces and gardens to help overcome skills shortages in horticulture and share scientific knowledge.

We will work with UKRI and other partners to seek further opportunities to support doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, especially in early career development.

3. International

The UK will continue its membership of Euphresco, a phytosanitary research network of over 50 countries, and we will actively seek opportunities for our scientists to participate in other international networks of relevance to plant health.

For example, multiple research organisations across Great Britain will be participating in Horizon Europe and also working on the One-CGIAR Programme on Plant Health and Rapid Response to Protect Food and Livelihood Security 2022 to 2024, which seeks to develop approaches and frameworks to identify, characterise, predict and manage plant health risks in 20 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Chapter 4: monitoring and evaluation

This 5-year strategy has been co-designed and developed by the UK government, Scottish Government and the Welsh Government in collaboration with stakeholders in the plant sector. We will work together to design a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess progress of the strategy.

To ensure the Plant Biosecurity Strategy is credible, robust and is delivered fully, it is essential that new systems are put in place to assess how we are progressing against the vision, outcomes and commitments set out in the strategy, and to track, measure, and evaluate the strategy fully over its lifetime.

We will develop an evaluation framework and provide an update on progress after 3 years, followed by a final evaluation in 5 years.

Annex A: Plant Biosecurity Strategy Action Plan (2023 to 2028)

Outcome 1: a world-class biosecurity regime

Risk and horizon scanning

1.1 Further develop the UK Plant Health Risk Register to improve our understanding of complex and cumulative risks.

1.2 Work to ensure risks from all origins are addressed through targeted actions, such as strengthening the guidance on reporting of notifiable plant pests and pathogens, including increased promotion of the TreeAlert system.

1.3 Work with Botanic Gardens Conservation International to augment the International Plant Sentinel Network, exploring opportunities to include countries in Asia, monitor more UK species in gardens in Europe and enhance thematic and taxonomic networks.

Regulatory regime

1.4 Complete phased implementation of a revised import regime, including ‘Digital by Default’ e-certification to enhance traceability, quality, and security of data.

1.5 Encourage increased compliance using new Civil Sanctions.

1.6 Develop and roll out a UK phytosanitary Third Country audit programme.

1.7 Introduce a new personal imports policy.

1.8 Explore opportunities from Earned Recognition and Trusted Trader principles.

1.9 Explore new biosecurity measures for high-risk trees.

Outbreak readiness

1.10 Keep existing contingency plans under review and develop further pest-specific contingency plans. Develop a generic Plant Health Contingency Plan for Wales.

1.11 Develop a UK-wide plant health outbreak response training and exercise programme for outbreak responders.

1.12 Include plant health outbreaks on the National Security Risk Assessment and National Risk Register to raise awareness of threats and impacts.

1.13 Develop a generic outbreak communications plan to ensure that industry, landowners, stakeholders and the public are adequately informed about outbreaks.

1.14 Develop a number of Plant Health IT Systems to support the needs of outbreak readiness, emergency response an information sharing.

International ambitions

1.15 Develop a UK Plant Health International Action Plan from 2022 to 2025.

1.16 Build overseas capability by delivering technical assistance, training, interchange opportunities and capacity building programmes to other countries.

1.17 Implement the Strategic Framework for the International Plant Protection Convention 2020 to 2030, to encourage safe trade and help to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

1.18 Add plant health to the International Hazard Forward Look, a cross-government tool used to track the evolving situation of natural hazards overseas.

1.19 Support the development of international standards and guidance through participation on EPPO, IPPC and other international panels and groups.

Outcome 2: a society that values healthy plants

Raising awareness

2.1 Work with signatories of the new Public Engagement in Plant Health Accord to raise awareness of plant health across Great Britain.

2.2. Engage the general public in England and Wales in the ‘National Conversation about Plant Health’ project about plant biosecurity behaviours.

2.3 Continue to hold an annual National Plant Health Week, including a new citizen science themed day.

Education

2.4 Work with the Royal Society of Biology and the National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Learning Centre to embed biosecurity in the National Curriculum, develop awareness in teachers and develop a network of plant health STEM ambassadors.

2.5 Provide online biosecurity themed resources for primary schools that can be incorporated into lesson plans, for example, ‘Izzy the Inspector’ or ‘Anni yr Archwilydd.’

2.6 Deliver a new Master of Science (MSc) degree in Forest Protection as part of the new Centre for Forest Protection.

2.7 Explore further opportunities to promote plant health and biosecurity at the higher education level.

Training

2.8 Expand the Royal Society of Biology Plant Health Professional register to encourage greater participation across sectors.

2.9 Develop an engaging plant health e-learning module for amateur gardeners.

2.10 Support other organisations in developing bespoke biosecurity training modules and resources, for example, the Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture’s biosecurity modules, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s Endeavour online learning platform, the Royal Horticultural Society qualifications in Biosecurity and Plant Health, the Tree Council’s Toolkits for Local Authorities and the British Association of Landscape Industries’ (BALI) training for landscapers.

2.11 Continue to develop the Welsh Sentinel Site Network including training events and communications activities.

Citizen science

2.12 Invest in and support the further development of the TreeAlert reporting tool.

2.13 Deliver increased opportunities for the public to engage in citizen science activities, including expanding existing networks like Observatree, raising awareness of volunteer opportunities, and supporting initiatives in schools and community groups, for example, Scotland’s Dandelion School Growing Initiative.

2.14 Work with partners across the tree health Citizen Science Network to publish a learning pathway to raise awareness of citizen science opportunities.

Outcome 3: a biosecure plant supply chain

Intelligence and monitoring

3.1 Work with industry to improve intelligence on horticultural and tree supply chains, their resilience and bottlenecks.

3.2 Publish official statistics on the plant health trade and explore new data sharing practices to improve supply and demand planning.

3.3 Enhance APHA’s Internet Trading Unit to increase monitoring of internet trading and social media sites and raise awareness of biosecurity requirements on these platforms.

Supply chains

3.4 Work with the UK Plant Health Alliance to develop a new 5-year roadmap for the Plant Healthy certification scheme.

3.5 Continue to implement a new programme of post-planting inspections on higher risk tree imports to aid the detection of latent pests and diseases.

3.6 Defra will implement a phased roll-out of a biosecure procurement requirement across government grants and contracts, meaning suppliers of plants and trees will need to demonstrate best practice by meeting the requirements of the published Plant Health Management Standard.

3.7 Incentivise biosecure practices when planting and managing trees and woodland through the Environmental Land Management and other Future Farming schemes, reducing the internal spread of pests and diseases through advice, guidance and grant support to land managers.

3.8 Support the sector to raise biosecurity standards and showcase best practices, for example, the Royal Horticultural Society’s development of biosecurity focused procurement standards and commitment to be biosecurity neutral by 2025, BGCI’s International Plant Sentinel Network commitment on biosecure seed exchange between botanic gardens, and British Association of Landscape Industries’ commitment to create a culture of biosecurity awareness amongst their landscaping membership.

Domestic production

3.9 Develop a Horticulture Strategy for England that will examine the roles of small, large, and emerging growing models across edible and ornamental horticulture, to identify and support the growth potential within our domestic sectors.

3.10 Work with the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group to explore actions identified in the “Unlocking Green Growth” industry action plan that both government and industry can take.

3.11 Invest in the quality, quantity and diversity of domestic seed and sapling supply, including continued provision of capital and innovation grants to tree nurseries. This includes the Nature for Climate Fund Sector Capacity project and the new Tree Production Capital Grant.

Outcome 4: an enhanced technical capability

Core capability

4.1 Strengthen and enhance the core research and surveillance programmes for plant health, including sustained investment in critical capability at, for example, SASA, the Forestry Commission, Fera Science Ltd and Forest Research.

4.2 Defra will publish a new plant health research priorities document in 2023.

4.3 Maintain Scotland’s Plant Health Centre, which brings together scientific expertise across agriculture, horticulture, forestry and the natural environment.

4.4 Design and deliver a new plant health surveillance network for Wales.

4.5 Support delivery of related government science strategies, particularly the Tree Health and Biosecurity elements of the Science and Innovation Strategy for Forestry in Great Britain.

4.6 Deliver the new £4.5 million Centre for Forest Protection, led by Forest Research and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which will provide a hub for research on tree pests and diseases, including 14 research projects and a programme of education, training and knowledge exchange.

4.7 UKRI will continue to support strategic infrastructure and programmes at institutes that provide long-term plant health research capability, for example, the John Innes Centre, Rothamsted Research, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and UK Agritech centres for Agricultural Innovation.

Collaborating and innovating to enhance capability

4.8 Review the role of the UK Animal and Plant Health Science Partnership and the recommendations from the BBSRC working group in Plant Health 2021, with the aim of supporting a co-ordinated, vibrant and innovative UK research community that can develop the knowledge and tools to tackle national and global plant health priorities.

4.9 Encourage collaboration across research providers and sectors to exploit the latest advances in science and technology take-up.

4.10 Champion innovative and collaborative research models like the UK Action Oak partnership, which aims to leverage funds for research and knowledge exchange on oak health.

4.11 Work with other research funders and providers, such as UKRI and Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to deliver increased opportunities for plant health internships, PhDs and Fellowships.

4.12 Work with UKRI to explore further opportunities for collaborative investment in fundamental and applied plant science, development of technologies, as well as understanding trade routes and consumer behaviour.

International

4.13 Continue to support Great Britain’s active participation in the Euphresco research network, thus enabling access to a network of plant health researchers across more than 50 countries.

4.14 Identify opportunities for participation of British researchers in international research programmes of relevance to plant health and biosecurity.

Annex B: Economic values of plants

Summary

Our assessment of the annual value of plants uses a combination of market values and non-market values to express the value of different ecosystem services of plants and trees in monetary terms. This includes market values for forestry and carbon (timber values and BEIS carbon values) and a number of different techniques to monetise ecosystem services such as recreation and landscape where no market value exists. Our assessment also includes the value of non-woodland trees for the first time. Other elements of value can be expressed in a qualitative way only including physical health, cultural symbolic and educational benefits and woodland conservation.

The total annual value of plants is estimated at £15.7 billion per year. These values reflect the estimated annual flow of benefits we derive from current stocks of our plants and treescapes and is quite different to assessing the asset value of the infrastructure provided by the stock of all trees which would require a complex ecological assessment.

Therefore, all of the estimates of value should be treated as providing a partial indication of the size of the important value that our forests and trees provide, rather than providing exact values.

We can also provide an indication of the asset value, by estimating what this annual value would amount to over a 100-year period. This is estimated by taking the flow of annual benefits over 100 years, then adjusted with a number of assumptions (to reflect population and income growth) to project these future values and then discount them back into today’s terms. An initial estimate indicates that the asset value is in the region of £350 billion. (Not all elements of the annual value are included in the asset value analysis. Only the relevant tree-related values that relate to forestry, woodlands and non-woodlands are included.)

£15.7 billion estimated total annual value of plants

The annual value of plants is comprised of the following:

Commercial forestry

The commercial Forestry industry contributes £0.7 billion of the UK’s Gross Value Added (GVA) every year.

(Source: Forestry Statistics 2021, Chapter 8 Finance & Prices, Table 8.2)

This does not include any downstream industries, such as sawmilling or paper production. Although these downstream industries will at least partially use UK grown timber, it is substitutable to some extent with imports. Therefore, we only count the GVA of forestry as a direct value of UK plants as the processing of felling must depend on UK trees.

Air filtration

Air filtration of dangerous particles by forests and other trees provides £1 billion per year in avoided healthcare costs and years of life gained by avoiding diseases.

The value of woodland air filtration is estimated by calculating the avoided healthcare costs in the form of fewer hospital visits and avoided life years lost (which is multiplied by average economic contribution). See ONS Natural Capital Accounts (2021) for total air filtration, and Woodland Natural Capital Accounts for woodland air filtration, the difference of which is the value of filtration from non-woodland vegetation.

Air filtration of dangerous particles by vegetation in farmlands, grasslands, moors and wetlands provides £0.4 billion per year in avoided healthcare costs and years of life gained by avoiding diseases. This estimate is provided by the ONS Natural Capital Accounts. Read how this is measured in the UK natural capital accounts methodology guide (ONS).

Carbon sequestration

The annual value of the service of carbon sequestration by forests and woodlands is estimated to be approximately £4.0 billion.

The volume of carbon sequestered by land type is recorded by the UKNAEI, which is then multiplied by the central non-market carbon price set by BEIS. (Source: UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2021, page 125, figure 2.21)

The annual value of the service of carbon sequestration by vegetation in grassland is estimated to be approximately £0.2 billion. The UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2021 also estimates carbon sequestration values for cropland and grassland. Note that cropland is a net carbon emitter, this is principally due to emissions from soil due to land use change, with vegetation on cropland still sequestering CO2.

Urban trees

Vegetation acts a buffer against noise pollution, and trees provide cooling in urban areas as well as flood prevention. The combined annual value of these services is estimated at £0.5 billion.

The benefits of reducing road noise pollution are monetised by loss of quality adjusted life years (QALYs) associated with adverse health due to noise. Estimated in a 2018 Eftec Report (Table A3) to be 15 million.

Cooling provided by urban trees is monetised by avoided air conditioning costs and greater productivity. This is valued at £249 million (adjusted from £229 million to 2021 prices). (Source: Woodland natural capital accounts, UK - Office for National Statistics)

Forest Research modelled the volume of flood water captured by woodland, which is monetised by comparing this to an alternative scenario where reservoirs would need to be built to capture this water. This is estimated to be £237 million (adjusted from £218 million to 2021 prices). (Source: Table 9, Woodland Natural Capital Accounts)

Plants

The annual social and environmental benefits of plants are recreational value (£2.0 billion), landscapes (£0.2 billion) and biodiversity (£0.9 billion).

Recreation source: The value for recreation is taken from the 2021 ORVal report. This report uses the Outdoor Recreation Valuation (ORVal) model (which uses MENE data) to explore the number of visits and values at woodlands across England and Wales. The report focuses on the value of whole sites and the marginal additional visits to estimate the recreation value lost if all woodlands were to close in one go or if all woodlands closed one by one.

Landscape source: The Social and Environmental Benefits of Forests in Great Britain (2003) details a choice experiment with prices to compare woodland views, with the estimated willingness-to-pay (WTP) applied to the rest of the population (page 4).

Biodiversity source: The Social and Environmental Benefits of Forests in Great Britain (2003) infers preferences for different types of woodland, however these preferences are only a partial estimate of the true value of biodiversity, as diverse and resilient plants act as in insurance against disease spread, as well as a value of supporting entire ecosystems, but many respondents do not consider this. The value then revised up in the Tree Resilience Strategy (Annex a, Figure 1).

Agricultural crops

Agricultural crops contribute £4.1 billion to the UK’s GVA every year. This estimate does not include downstream industries of food and drink production.

We have estimated Agricultural GVA of crops using the Agriculture in the UK (2020) publication this includes horticulture, flowers as well as all other commercial crops.

Allotments

The net value of allotment output is estimated to be £0.03 billion per year.

This value is the value of total allotment output, less any costs (time and resources). Note that the value of allotments may actually be higher, as time spent on allotments is likely to provide recreational benefits and is therefore not necessarily a cost in the traditional sense. From the ONS Urban Capital Accounts (2019).

Forests and woodlands

The annual mental health benefits associated with visits to the UK’s woodlands is estimated at £0.2 billion.

The Forestry Commission Report (2020) estimates the annual mental health benefits associated with visits to the UK’s woodlands based on evidence of the reduced incidence of depression and anxiety as a result of regular visits to nature. As an approximation, the avoided costs are based upon the average annual costs to society of living with depression or anxiety including costs associated with treatment and employment related costs.

The annual value of non-woodland trees is estimated to be £1.4 billion per year (source: Valuing Non-Woodland Trees, Forest Research and Defra, 2021).

Woodland Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) benefit transfer methodologies involve the application of average (‘unit’) values from the ONS woodland Natural Capital Accounts to non-woodland trees. The total value of the UKs non-woodland tree estimates ranges from £1.39 billion per year (woodland NCA Benefit Transfer approach) to £3.83 billion per year (i-Tree Canopy) at 2020 prices.

All trees

Cultural, symbolic, spiritual, education and social development value from experiencing forests and woodlands including ancient trees (value non-monetisable), and woodland conservation (social ‘non-use’) value from preserving trees for the future.

The asset value of trees estimates the annual flow of benefits from current stocks of forest, woodlands and trees over a 100-year period and is estimated to be £350 billion.

The asset value is calculated taking the flow of annual benefits over 100 years, adjusted for a number of assumptions (to reflect population and income growth etc) to project these future values and then discount them back into today’s terms.

Total estimate

In total, the annual value across the economic, environmental and social elements of our plants and treescapes that can be explicitly monetised is estimated at £15.7 billion per year. As part of a joint programme of work with Defra, the Office for National Statistics produce estimates of the annual value of woodland in the UK as well as for other aspects including agriculture, vegetation and grassland.

Some of the estimates above differ, for instance we include non-use biodiversity value that individuals benefit from in forests, economic value reflects Gross Value Added (GVA). There are some further methodological differences, for instance recreation value here is higher due to using a higher estimate of ‘willingness to pay’ or wider coverage of recreational trips. The ONS Natural Capital Accounts are part of a long-term programme of joint work with Defra to develop annual natural capital accounts for the UK, both physical and monetary, flow and stock accounts. These accounts are improved each year as new information becomes available and can be incorporated into any future versions of this analysis where appropriate.

It is worth also noting, however, that trees may also reduce the value of services, for instance through tree root damage or obstructing views. Therefore, many factors (including location and species mix) should be considered carefully when designing policies, in order to mitigate negative value and maximise positive value.

Evidence gaps

There remain gaps in our understanding of the full value of our plants and treescapes which would increase the value of our estimates. The key areas that we have identified for further research include:

• biodiversity (to improve our understanding and estimations of biodiversity)
• water quality
• conservation of plants and treescapes
• physical wellbeing and health benefits
• cultural and educational benefits
• urban tree landscape
• peri-urban landscapes (for example, on transport routes)
• key tree species
• wild plants
• botanical gardens and private gardens

Finally, there is a conceptual case for attributing at least part of the value that some downstream industries derive from ensuring healthy plants in the UK. However, this was not included in the analysis.

Annex C: Public Engagement in Plant Health Accord

Accord statement

Thirty organisations from across the country have come together in common purpose to protect the health of our nation’s plants and trees. We believe that everybody can play a part in protecting our plants and trees from the threat of pests and diseases.  

We are working together to promote positive behavioural change to safeguard the health of our plants and trees and the benefits they provide for society, the environment and the economy. We believe that considering plant health and good biosecurity practice should be normal for anyone buying and caring for plants, when traveling or spending time in nature, and we will work together to ensure this happens.

Why we need to act

There is a vital need to engage with the public to help us address a number of key threats to plant health. These threats arise because:

• the globalisation of trade has increased the number and geographic extent of points of origin for plants and plant material, allowing new pests and diseases to travel the world   
• there are still large numbers of people travelling with plants / plant material from abroad during business and leisure / tourism (domestic and international) which can introduce pests and diseases
• a changing climate means that ‘exotic’ pests and diseases are more likely to be able to establish  
• our existing plants and trees are more stressed due to more extreme weather like droughts, making them more vulnerable to pests and diseases
• there is a low level of understanding of biosecurity and how biosecurity behaviours relate to plant health
• research has revealed low levels of understanding of what to do / what not to do in support of plant health

A joint commitment to act

The signatories and partners to this accord believe that everyone should engage with plant health and biosecurity and make a contribution to protecting the health of our plants and trees. The more people who take action to defend against the threats to plant health, the better. We all need to understand our responsibilities and take positive actions. Through the Accord, we will work together to develop a long-lasting cultural change of shared responsibility for good plant health throughout the country. We will work together to:

• help everyone to become a responsible plant health citizen who understands the risk of plant pests and disease and the need to protect the health of our plants and trees
• help people to understand the origin of the plants, trees and seeds and the plant health practices and credentials of vendors / suppliers
• reduce the risk of international travels bringing home plants, trees, fruit and seeds from overseas  
• communicate how everyone’s actions can facilitate the movement of pests and diseases 
• ensure everyone knows how to report sightings of pests and diseases that are threatening the health of our plants and trees

A long-term vision for public engagement, awareness raising and behaviour change

Our shared long-term vision is that everyone will appreciate the value of healthy plants and trees, understand threats to plant health, and will act responsibly because they have the knowledge to make the right choices.

What we will do

We will:

• continue to share information, good practice and pool ideas and resources about plant health
• effectively communicate research findings and ensure that future plant health interventions are evidence-led to encourage behaviour change 
• work collaboratively to develop new and innovative partnerships that will benefit the health our plants and trees

Guiding principles

The signatories and partners to this Accord recognise the enormous value to society, human health and the environment of healthy plants and trees, that these values are threatened, and that action is required to protect them. 

We recognise the importance of an inclusive and respectful approach to engaging with our audiences. Meaningful behaviour change will only come about if we work with, and actively listen to, the audiences we seek to engage and respond to their needs. 

We understand the need to adapt our engagement to reflect the diversity of social, cultural and geographic contexts and situations that shape people’s beliefs, attitudes, choices and actions.  

Whilst we have a shared vision, we recognise that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Signatories and partners must have the freedom to tailor the design and delivery of interventions to meet the requirements of different audiences.  

We recognise the fundamental value of scientific evidence as the basis for successful intervention. Because resources are scarce, we commit to sharing the insights from research and evaluation, to benefit all signatories and partners.

Signed by:

• Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Animal and Plant Health Agency
• Forestry Commission
• Forest Research
• The Royal Horticultural Society
• Horticultural Trade Association
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government
• Royal Forestry Society
• British Society for Plant Pathology
• Fera Science Ltd
• Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
• Bacterial Plant Diseases Programme
• The British Society for Plant Pathology
• Grown in Britain
• Action Oak
• National Trust
• Arboricultural Association
• The Linnean Society
• Observatree
• British Association of Landscape Industries
• Young People in Horticulture Association
• The Tree Council
• The Plant Health Alliance (Plant Healthy)
• Confor
• Historic Houses
• Scottish Forestry
• National Farmers Union
• Plant Health Centre, Scotland
• Woodland Trust

In support of the Public Engagement in Plant Health Accord, we present a series of Action Statements from signatory organisations outlining their specific stance, activities (past and planned) and their intended outcomes.

Action statements demonstrate each organisation’s commitment to the need to build engagement with the public, to raise awareness and promote positive behavioural change to safeguard the health of our plants.

Great Britain (GB) Plant Health Services Action Statement

Organisational statement of key issues

GB Plant Health Services recognise the significant value to society of healthy plants. Healthy plants provide a number of vital services to society – they provide us with the food we eat, the oxygen we breathe, they remove pollutants from our air and water, they help to reduce the risk of flooding, they help us to lead happy and healthy lives, they sustain a vast array of animal and plant life, and they are vital to our economy. Healthy plants are essential to our ability to meet the most pressing environmental, social and economic challenges of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, growing levels of psychological and physiological stress, and the need to green our economy.

GB Plant Health Services are committed to protecting the health of our plants and trees from harmful pests and diseases in order to safeguard their value. Defra, Scottish Government and the Welsh Government are the competent authorities who deal with plant health for their respective nations but come together under the umbrella of GB Plant Health Services to tackle pests and diseases as do we all know they do not respect borders.

For England and Wales, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is responsible for delivering a range of plant health services to prevent the introduction, establishment and spread of harmful organisms that threaten our plants; the Horticulture and Marketing Unit fulfils a similar role in Scotland. These services and functions can go a long way to reducing and managing threats to plant health, but they have their limitations, and they are not exhaustive. Ultimately, the choices and actions of individuals and organisations across society will have more influence over plant health outcomes than the actions of government. GB Plant Health Services see plant health very much as a challenge that must also be met by society.

As such, GB Plant Health Services recognise the importance of enabling, encouraging and fostering public support for plant health. This will not be an easy task. Research has shown that people’s awareness and understanding of plant health issues are low and, critically, people’s recognition of their own responsibility and agency is also low. Enabling, encouraging and fostering public support for plant health will require dedication, resolve and resources to raise awareness and bring about positive behaviour change.

What we have done

In recent years, GB Plant Health Services have led a number of public engagement activities and campaigns to raise awareness of plant health and encourage behavioural change, these include:

Public engagement: An annual communications campaign for building on International Year of Plant Health 2020, including UK National Plant Health Week. RHS Chelsea Flower Show gardens and exhibits, Royal Welsh Show, Izzy the Inspector activity book for children (also published and translated to Welsh, titled “Anni yr Archwilydd”), the Don’t Risk it! Campaign. The Forestry Commission and Scottish Forestry have also developed the Keep it Clean campaign. A new Plant Health action website for the public. The Welsh Government, in partnership with APHA, has been raising awareness through the Wales Plant Health Sentinel Site Network whose members include parks and gardens across Wales.

We aim to work collaboratively and many of the activities described above have significant input and support from stakeholders, for example the Plant Health Communications Group leads on developing the framework for UK National Plant Health Week.

Citizen science: GB Plant Health Services have provided support to Observatree and associated systems, such as TreeAlert which have delivered a tree health early warning system based on citizen science. These initiatives have supported a network of trained volunteers and encouraged the public to survey and report tree health issues.

Research: GB Plant Health Services have delivered a growing programme of research to understand opportunities and barriers to positive behaviour change, most notably through the ‘National Conversation on Plant Health’ project.

What we plan to do

GB Plant Health Services will continue to fund behavioural insights research that will inform the design and delivery of communications and other interventions to encourage positive behaviour change. In the future this research will increasingly focus on priority ‘risk behaviours’ and we will collaborate closely with partners to share the insights from this research to ensure a joined-up approach. GB Plant Health Services will continue to support public engagement activities informed by research.

GB Plant Health Services will work to extend the ‘reach’ of citizen science initiatives and explore how these might be enhanced to engage more people and encourage them to monitor and report plant health issues.

Intended outcomes in next 5 years

Create a national plant health team – everyone appreciates the value of healthy plants, understands the threats to plant health, what responsibilities they have, and how their choices and actions can make a difference.

Being a good plant health citizen becomes a ‘social norm’, so that actions that pose a risk to plant health are discouraged and positive actions are valued, appreciated and encouraged.

Plant health and biosecurity become a ‘reflex consideration’ when buying plants, travelling, and engaging with nature.

RHS Action Statement

Organisational statement of key issues

Our planet and the natural world are facing multiple crises, from the climate emergency, the dramatic loss of biodiversity and invasion of species threatening our flora and fauna, reducing the beneficial ecosystem services of cultivated plants, to plastic-pollution. By working together with Britain’s 30 million gardeners we can have a bigger impact to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis. We are committed to stretching sustainability targets for our own operations that provide benefits for both nature and people, and this includes a commitment to be biosecurity neutral by 2025.

Over the past decade, the arrival of new pests and diseases in the UK, especially on trees, has had major impacts on our gardens and landscapes. Changes in climate, especially warmer winters, may also enable more pests and diseases to become established in our gardens. The RHS aims to improve the surveillance and management of plant pests and diseases in its gardens and support UK gardeners and others to be plant healthy.

Maintaining healthy gardens and plants ensures that the climate, biodiversity and health benefit services are maximised. As a charity, one of the biggest impacts we can make  is delivering the RHS Planet-Friendly Gardening Campaign to enable Britain’s 30 million+ gardeners and others to take plant health and biosecurity actions in their community, schools, workplaces and homes.

What we have done

We have focused on implementing our six plant health principles across our gardens, shows and retail operations. Furthermore, we are continuing to protect our gardens and National Plant Collections, provide plant health and biosecurity training, undertake research and development for sustainable management of pests and diseases including how to stop them spreading.

Our Plant Health science team, based at RHS Hilltop – Home of Gardening Science – and at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, are collaborating with UK researchers, industry partners and gardeners to deliver applied scientific research and advice that leads to plant health solutions to protect plant biosecurity.

What we plan to do and the intended outcomes (next 5 years)

Our 5-year strategy (2021 to 2025) includes the ambition to stimulate biosecurity and plant healthy actions among the general public. In order to achieve this, we have identified key actions we can directly control in our own operations, and how we can influence the horticulture industry, government and gardeners.

The RHS has direct control to:

• adopt practices across RHS activities that minimise plant health risk by implementing the RHS six plant health principles
• pilot the Plant Healthy Certification scheme at RHS Garden Harlow Carr and, if successful, roll out to all operations by 2025
• develop a collection policy that includes more in-house propagation, safe sourcing and procurement and understanding the vulnerability of plants/collections to pests, diseases and invasive plants
• increase our preparedness for potentially damaging pests and diseases including identifying potential risks, developing plans to contain their spread and preparing responses to emergency situations
• undertake research into sustainable management and control strategies for common pests and diseases not yet in the UK, including non-chemical plant-protection products and new pest/ disease-resistant plant lines, and encourage gardeners to choose more sustainable pest-control methods
• invest in and improve the RHS Plant Health Reception facilities and services

The RHS can influence the horticultural industry and government and the gardening and general public by:

• increasing plant health and biosecurity awareness across Britain’s 30 million+ gardeners and others to encourage good biosecurity and achieve thriving gardens and plants that provide the maximum benefits for carbon capture, pollinators and wildlife, the environment and human health
• providing guidance to gardeners and industry on plant health issues to protect the sustainability of gardens and horticulture in the UK
• communicating and exchanging knowledge to help gardeners and UK horticulture sustainably manage plant health risks
• collaborating with external organisations and our suppliers to help manage – and develop the skills necessary to manage – plant health risks to the UK
• working with the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group (industry and government), Plant Health Alliance, government and others towards delivering a plant-healthy, biosecure Britain

Woodland Trust Action Statement

Organisational statement of key issues relating to engagement in plant health

The multiple benefits of trees in our landscapes are widely recognised, from capturing carbon, enhancing biodiversity and alleviating flood risk, to providing shade and shelter, protecting our fragile soils and boosting people’s health and well-being. At a time when the demand for new woods and trees is growing, we must not overlook the current pressure on our existing woods and trees. The England Woodland Action Plant outlines the importance of both “expanding” and “protecting” woodlands; both of which are core principles to the Woodland Trusts ambitions. Tree pests and diseases are one of the biggest threats to the future survival of our native woodlands. When pests and diseases are inadvertently introduced to an area outside of their natural range, the threat posed can be significant and long-term. Trees and other plants, fungi, insect and bacterial species survive in a delicate ecological balance within woodlands, this balance can be disturbed with the arrival of non-native pests and diseases. This can sometimes have an extraordinarily severe impact and jeopardise the future survival of an entire species, such as we have seen with Ash Dieback.

The Woodland Trust as the largest woodland conservation charity, continues to work tirelessly to secure the protection of our woods and trees from the threats of pest and diseases, along with many other threats. We believe the challenge posed by new pests and diseases is a priority area that requires urgent attention in order to safeguard our existing and future trees and will be crucial to our efforts to tackle both the climate and biodiversity crises.

All of the trees that the Woodland Trust plant, and sell, are UK and Ireland Sourced and Grown (UKISG) meaning at no point in the supply chain has the seed or sapling been imported, and thereby reducing the risk of inadvertently introducing pests or diseases from abroad. The UK and Ireland benefit from a strong geographical advantage by virtue of their island status and this is the most effective safeguard we can implement to reduce the risk of importing new invasive pests or diseases.

As part of our efforts we collaborate with and seek to engage and inspire others to play their part too –  private, public and community/third-sector organisations as well as our members, supporters and the broader public.  Our trees and woods are a shared treasure and action is needed across the country, in gardens, in parks and in the countryside.    Current understanding of why plant biosecurity is important is low, and organisations such as us alongside government must work to reverse this. Therefore, one fundamental aspect of Tree Health is wider education on why it is so important in light of the biodiversity and climate crisis. It is crucial we provide clear guidance to our engaged professional and supporter audiences on the fundamental role they can play in protecting our plants into the future, from buying behaviours to best practice when enjoying the countryside, there are so many small actions that can be implemented at an individual level that collectively, will make a difference to the safety of our trees. At the Trust we are committed to continuing to communicate why provenance and responsible procurement of seeds and saplings is important to the public and land managers when we deliver outreach work.  We would like to work to increase the understanding, support and demand for UKISG and domestically grown plant products, through the work we do with our professional and engaged supporter audiences. We are also fully committed to working collaboratively with the objective of engaging widespread action through biosecure practices.

What we are currently doing to increase engagement and build support for plant health

We are committed to engaging in government led communications activity, which has meant over the years we have contributed towards initiatives like the Don’t Risk it! campaign and the Forestry Commissions Keep it Clean campaign. We also engage in Plant Health Week and use it as an opportunity to inform our supporter and professional audiences on plant health, with a focus on trees.

We are a partner of the Observatree project, contributing significantly as the project’s volunteer and website managers. The Trust regularly communicates pest and disease awareness through promotion of the project’s resources. The Observatree partnership develops educational resources that can be used by a wider audience than those that are directly volunteering, extending the reach of the messaging.

We are often the first port of call for press enquiries on tree diseases and pests. We engage in this activity which can be print, radio or TV all of which help to inform the wider public.

We have developed a successful procurement standard in the form of our UK and Ireland Sourced and Grown (UKISG) scheme. This offers confidence to us in our own planting but also in our outreach work for example to landowners and farmers and to members of the public who buy through the Woodland Trust shop.

We support tree health research, as funders, stakeholders, and land managers. We publish our own positions and management approaches for diseases such as ash dieback to share good practise.

We are also part of Action Oak, which is an important collaboration that aims to help support research and promote the importance of oak to a wide audience.

What we plan to do

We plan to continue to deliver all of the activities outlined above. In addition, we will build upon the above for example, by working to achieve more reach in Plant Health week in the future.

We are committed to being evidence based and proportionate in how we address biosecurity and tree health concerns, and we’re committed to continuing to fund research to address key evidence gaps. We’re also involved in research to better understand how to communicate biosecurity and tree health issues.

We are committed to working with partners, existing and future (for example of the Accord) to continue to support plant health communications and deliver the objectives outlined in this paper.

Our intended outcomes in 5 years

We hope to have contributed towards informing and engaging society to care about healthy plants and trees. Success will be demonstrated by the following:

• increased awareness of biosecurity and individual actions that collectively make significant impact within our engaged supporters and professional audiences
• clear, comprehensive guidance available for professional, supporter and public audiences on best practice when buying new plants, travelling overseas of enjoying the countryside as it relates to plant health and biosecurity
• increased demand for UKISG trees (or similar procurement) that ensures domestic production from seed to sapling
• continue to communicate Woodland Trust involvement in Tree Health research

Forest Research Action Statement

Organisational statement of key issues

Forest Research (FR) is the principal organisation for forestry- and tree-related research in the UK.  FR recognises the threat posed by pests and diseases to trees in the UK has never been greater, with highly damaging outbreaks, evidence of greater spread and impact, new organisms being introduced through trade pathways, and established pest and disease threats exacerbated by changes in climate and host availability. We respond to these challenges, through a wide range of natural and social science research, developing techniques to prevent pest and disease introduction, enable early detection and eradication, manage established problems, and guide environmental resilience from the local to national level. Our core programmes respond to evidence needs across the GB nations, providing links between policy makers and practitioners, and working collaboratively with other research organisations such as Scotland’s Plant Health Centre, the new Defra-funded Centre for Forest Protection in collaboration with Kew, and internationally with researchers through networks such as IUFRO. 

What we have done

We are acutely aware of the importance of the UK publics in efforts to strengthen plant and tree health and biosecurity, and this is reflected in our provision of plant and tree health evidence, advice, and diagnostics. FR provides publicly available web resources on tree health including for 25 key diseases and 23 insect species, making accessible knowledge accumulated over decades of research. Monitoring and reporting of tree health is provided through the TreeAlert portal and the Observatree citizen science project.  Each allows members of the public (as trained volunteers in the case of Observatree) to play a key role in the detection of tree health issues. Collaborative research (e.g. Phyto-Threats) has informed the development of “Plant Healthy” standards and the development of other good practice.  Current social science research in the public sphere includes Defra-funded projects on indicators for measuring the societal values at risk from pests and diseases (FPPH Social and Cultural Values), and at predictors of and barriers to increased public participation in UK biosecurity and plant health (FPPH National Conversation). Our core research programmes (running 2021-2026) include behavioural studies into the plant health actions of the publics when visiting woodland sites. These projects help provide the evidence needed to engage the public to work with government and other stakeholder to increase biosecurity and plant health in the UK.

What we plan to do / intended outcome in the next 5 years

Continue to produce high quality pest and disease online resources, made available directly to the public, and through information for use by policy and land manager stakeholders. 

Maintain and develop the TreeAlert portal so that public sightings of pests and diseases can contribute to early warning of potential problems. 

Deliver social science research into the values and behaviours of the public, related to tree and plant health, aiming to aid government and other stakeholders to build a biosecurity culture for the UK. 

Maintain and build our skills and expertise as part of national capability in plant health and biosecurity.  Maintain strong links with researchers in institutions across the UK and internationally, as well as with stakeholders (e.g. industry, government, NGO), to provide the evidence base for engaging the public in plant and tree health initiatives.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Action Statement

Kew Gardens holds one of the most diverse and valuable collections of living plants in the world. Protecting these collections from the growing threats of pests and disease requires exemplary biosecurity and constant vigilance. With over two million visitors a year and an international profile for its work in plant science, Kew Gardens also plays an important role in communicating and explaining topical issues relating to plants.  

By the end of 2023 Kew Gardens will enhance measures to manage plant health risks by introducing and implementing a Plant Health Standard. This will cover inward and outward movement of plants as well as control and management of pests and disease within the gardens. We will publicise the development and adoption of this standard to Kew members and visitors to raise awareness of the need for good plant health practices in all gardens.  We will also consider accreditation through the Plant Healthy scheme.  

To better understand and record the occurrence of pests and disease in the garden we will increase vigilance and inspection including through improved staff knowledge and citizen science initiatives including Observatree.  

We will use our public profile and diverse communications media to raise public and visitor awareness of the threats to plant health and the importance of biosecurity. This will include practical guidance on how people can contribute to controlling plant pests and disease. National Plant Health Week will provide a focus for these initiatives but messages about plant health will also become a frequent theme within our visitor interpretation and engagement programmes. The latter include our onsite schools programme, Endeavour online learning platform and Youth Explainer Programme.   

We will collaborate with Defra and NGOs in developing science-based responses to plant pests and disease including oak processionary moth, box blight and Oriental chestnut gall wasp. We will share our knowledge and experience with others through PlantNetwork and other horticultural networks to help raise the level of biosecurity and plant health practice within the UK garden sector. Our Plant Health Standard will provide an example of a practical and effective approach.

Observatree Action Statement

Organisational statement of key issues

Britain has seen the devastating effect that Dutch elm disease had on our landscape, removing most mature elms from all but a few areas. In the past 10 years, ash dieback entered eastern England and has slowly progressed west through Wales and north into Scotland. With increased global trade and changing climatic conditions, more tree pests and diseases are emerging in new parts for the world, well away from their natural habitats. When they arrive in a new location, the trees present may not have the natural mechanisms in place to tolerate or resist the new species. Once established, these new pests or diseases may have a significant negative impact on the host tree species, reducing its ability to support associated biodiversity and other benefits to society.   

There are a range of measures that can be used to reduce these risks and early detection and rapid reporting are helpful in controlling establishment or slowing spread. The earlier that a new species can be detected and the smaller the area that is affected, the easier it is to control. And where invasive tree pests or diseases have become established, it may be possible to slow their rates of spread, allowing time for control measures to be researched, or for natural resistance by the host tree species to evolve. An understanding of how established pests or diseases spread and the identification of parts of Britain where they are unable to move to are important in their management. The more that individual members of society are aware of the potential threats to our trees and how to report the status of the trees in their local area, the better placed we will be in protecting them.  

To equip members of society with the necessary resources to support the health of our trees, it is necessary to raise awareness of the issues, provide education and training on what to look for and the tools to submit findings. The Observatree project was established to facilitate this empowerment.

What we have done

Observatree is a multi-partner project, bringing together a range of organisations in a collaborative effort to increase tree health monitoring, reporting and support the work of tree and plant health professionals. Led by Forest Research, Observatree brings together the skills experience and resources of the Forestry Commission, Scottish Forestry, Welsh Government, Defra, APHA, Fera Science ltd., The National Trust and the Woodland Trust.  

Established as a proof of concept in 2013, the project operates a network of up to 200 volunteers who survey for a selected number of tree pests and diseases that are of particular concern. These volunteers receive training in how to correctly identify the species of interest, how to survey for them without inadvertently spreading them and how to report them. Many of these volunteers have made significant contributions to our understanding of the distribution of tree pests and diseases across Britain and continue to form the bedrock of the project.

Our volunteers are supported by a range of high quality and accessible education and training resources. To widen the reach of the project, many of these are freely available for anyone to access on the Observatree website. These resources, along with regular e-newsletters and blogs on the website help us to extend the reach of the project and share the importance of tree health concerns to wider audiences.  

Outreach forms a significant part of the project and we raise awareness of tree pests and diseases to various audiences through attendance at events and using selected media channels. We have recently launched a refreshed and improved website to share our information. In addition to collaborating with the Observatree Partners to raise awareness of tree health, we have created agreements with a number of other groups and organisations to help share our messaging. Similarly, Observatree collaborates with the Tree Health Citizen Science Network to share best practice and support wider tree health projects.

What we plan to do

We will continue to build upon the success of the Observatree project and the efforts of our volunteers. We will maintain a proactive and engaged network of volunteers and continue to equip and support them, enabling them to carry out their roles effectively. We will support the Observatree Lead Volunteers in engaging with others within their regions to strengthen local tree health surveillance networks.  

Increasing the use of data collected by the volunteers to raise awareness of these data and to ensure that their value is maximised. By feeding back on these activities to the volunteers, this will help to show the value of their efforts and further enhance their sense of appreciation and satisfaction in the survey tasks. 

We will continue to expand our networks, creating more collaborations to raise tree health awareness and encourage pest and disease reporting. We will promote the Observatree pest and disease educational resources through these new collaborations and to other stakeholders through a variety of communication channels available to the project.

Intended outcomes in next 5 years

Increased levels of tree health reporting by Observatree volunteers (and other groups).  

A maintained network of trained and experienced volunteers, capable of being called upon to support official inspection activities if required.  

Review our list of Priority pest and disease species monitored by the project to ensure their relevance to plant health professionals. 

Increased data value and volunteer satisfaction - We will work with Observatree partners to improve reporting systems for volunteers, data use and sharing to highlight the value of Citizen Science data, provide increased feedback to those submitting data, thereby increasing levels of appreciation and satisfaction. Submitted data are appreciated and can help to make a difference. 

Working with The Tree Council to trial the promotion of tree health through a small pilot project within their Tree Warden network. The potential for a roll-out across the wider Tree Warden network will then be explored. We will seek to identify similar collaborations with other groups and organisations.  

Shared best practice of tree health citizen science through the THCSN and with other groups as appropriate. 

Increased accessibility to tree health training – We will work with the Centre for Forest Protection and others to promote and share educational and training resources where practicable.

Forestry Commission Action Statement

The Forestry Commission is the government department responsible for protecting, expanding, and promoting the sustainable management of woodlands. We deliver a range of services and functions that aim to prevent the introduction, establishment and spread of devastating tree pests and diseases. A public that understands and engages with plant health is vital to enable success to the services and functions we provide.  

The nation’s forests had 296 million visits between April 2020 to March 2021. The England Trees Action Plan (ETAP) pledges to connect more people with trees and woodlands, and we expect to see an increase in the number of people visiting forests. We acknowledge that this visitor pressure presents a risk to plant health due to the increased likelihood of human-assisted pest and disease spread and introduction. Conversely, this also presents an opportunity to raise awareness of plant health issues and the risks associated with their activities when visiting forests.  

To meet the current government’s tree planting targets, as set out in the ETAP, Forestry Commission will help to triple the amount of tree planting across England between 2020 to 2025. We are also working to improve existing woodland ensuring we have more resilient, diverse, and healthy trees, that are actively protected and managed so that they are in the best ecological condition and can deliver more public goods. 

The Tree Health Resilience Strategy and the UK Forestry Standard Practice Guide ‘Adapting forest and woodland management to the changing climate’ describe the actions we are taking to ensure our established forests, and the trees we plant today, will be better able to withstand the uncertainties of our changing climate and future threats from pests and diseases. Increasing public awareness, engagement, and support with this critical area of plant health will ensure that the long-term benefits delivered by healthy, resilient trees, woodlands and forests are safeguarded for society now and into the future.  

Our ‘Keep it Clean’ tree health and biosecurity awareness campaign has been successful in helping drive positive behavioural change towards good biosecurity practices and understanding of plant health concerns. We have achieved this by being present at many public shows and events, providing plant health and resilience focused interpretation across the nation’s forests and through the development of biosecurity guidance for the public.

What we plan to do to increase public engagement in plant health

The Forestry Commission will continue to deliver and strengthen our ‘Keep it Clean’ campaign with a major focus on public engagement over the next 5 years. We will utilise social media as a key tool to increase our public audience reach. We intend to develop a specific plant health public engagement social media strategy, with the aim of highlighting both the immediate concern of pest and disease proliferation but also of the longer-term impacts of climate change, whilst also demonstrating the actions people can take to help support biosecurity goals. We will also raise the profile of the work being undertaken to build and improve the resilience of our treescape with the public.  

We recognise that plant health issues are a joint concern that require a collaborative approach. We will continue to provide support to landowners and the public by developing pilot initiatives, relevant guidance and integrating key messages into a diverse range of communication campaigns, to help tackle plant health issues together. We will continue to resource roles with a public facing element so they can carry on the support they provide to our partners, bolstering our joint efforts to ensure awareness of plant health issues are raised with all our public audiences.

As part of our Woodland Access Implementation Plan, we intend to increase public access to woodlands. We will embed plant health awareness, understanding and reporting processes within the plan to inspire a new cohort of citizen scientists. This plan will safeguard continued access to woodlands and forests so the flow of benefits and ecosystem services derived from healthy trees, woodlands and forests can be appreciated now and into the future.  

The Forestry Commission will endeavour to raise the profile of plant health amongst the public, encouraging them to:  

Think: Understand and appreciate the long-term economic, social, and environmental benefits of healthy, resilient trees, woodlands, and forests. 

Feel: The urgency of the national ambition to improve woodland and forest resilience, and empowered, informed, motivated, and prepared to take action to prevent the spread of tree pests and diseases.  

Do: Help maintain healthy trees and plants by building biosecurity into their everyday lives, advocating and amplifying Forestry Commission campaign messaging and reporting sightings of priority pests and diseases that are threatening the health of our plants and trees.

The Plant Health Alliance Action Statement

The Plant Health Alliance will continue to develop the voluntary Plant Health Management Standard, with a view to rolling out the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme. The primary focus is to improve plant biosecurity across live plant supply chains, which can be a high risk pathway for the spread of plant pests and diseases. In doing so, the Alliance will provide professional and amateur buyers of plants with a quality assurance mark that guides them to businesses and organisations who have enacted rigorous plant biosecurity precautions to help safeguard our gardens and countryside. The Alliance has a four-year promotional plan in place that aims to further raise the profile of the scheme to all who buy plants and enjoy visiting public gardens. A key area of focus will be promoting the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme during Plant Health Week each year.

The Tree Council Action Statement

The Tree Council celebrates the enormous value that healthy plants and particularly healthy trees and hedgerows play in our society. These healthy trees provide a vast range of vital services from the oxygen we breathe, to food like apples, plums and pears. They also remove pollutants from the air and water around us and can reduce the risk of flooding. Healthy trees enhance the lives of people, as well as providing food and shelter for a vast array of other species that live around and within them.

The Tree Council is committed to protecting the nation’s trees from harmful pests and diseases in order to safeguard their health and value. We are supportive of Defra’s newly published Plant Biosecurity Strategy and its four outcomes: a world class biosecurity regime, a society that values healthy plants, a biosecure plant supply chain and an enhanced plant health technical capability.

As the umbrella organisation for trees, The Tree Council promotes best practice related to tree and hedgerow health, using science and research to underpin the information we provide. We recognise that it’s essential for everyone to play their part in order to achieve good biosecurity and plant health. This has led us to develop innovative toolkits to help tree managers, particularly in local authorities, to deal with pests and diseases in partnership with Defra, Fera and Forest Research.

We focus our efforts on raising public awareness of tree health and biosecurity through our seasonal, and other targeted campaigns. One of our key audiences is our national network of volunteer Tree Wardens who champion trees in their local communities. For more than 30 years, we have provided the Tree Wardens with resources to help them identify and report tree pests and diseases as well as understand the importance of sound biosecurity practices. This has enabled them to take direct action, including one of them being the first to report ash dieback in the woods of Norfolk.

The future of our treescapes and their good health, rests in the hands of young people and The Tree Council’s National Schools Programme also champions tree health to its national network of teachers and pupils in primary, secondary and SEND schools. We provide engaging and practical tree health resources to teachers in the form of lesson and workshop plans, teacher training and printed guidance. We are also encouraging Tree Wardens to connect with local schools on our network to support them in surveying the health of their trees.

For The Tree Council however, it is not only about pests and diseases, but also about wider tree care, from the planting and aftercare of newly planted trees, to the management of our hedgerows, and our important heritage of ancient and veteran trees. Every tree counts and every tree should be given the chance to be as healthy as possible.

What we have done

In recent years, The Tree Council has:

• raised awareness of pests and diseases with our 6,000 Tree Wardens and 150 member organisations at every available opportunity through our regular newsletters, conferences and workshops and our regional forums
• worked with Fera and Newcastle University to trial novel tree health recording techniques with our network of Tree Wardens in Norfolk in a Sentinel Tree Programme
• hosted annual tree health themed online events for our volunteers and members during Plant Health Week
• used our annual Tree Care Campaign to promote the importance of good tree care for tree health
• worked with Defra to distribute copies of the ‘Izzie the Plant Health inspector’ handbook to primary schools across the UK
• developed practical tree health workshops for teachers to deliver in schools

Research:

Over the last 6 years, The Tree Council has been at the heart of extensive work on ash dieback and oak processionary moth, producing innovative toolkits in England, Wales and Scotland to help tree managers tackle the practical problems they face. The toolkits, based on extensive testing with hundreds of practising Tree Officers, have been warmly welcomed, the Ash Dieback Toolkit being downloaded over 2,000 times by local authority professionals. This has resulted in coordinated local action across the country to tackle the most significant tree health threat the UK has ever faced.

What we plan to do:

• continue our research relating to tree health matters and ensure that tree managers and the wider community have access to practical resources
• share insights into the best practice currently available
• work with the Observatree partnership to develop a new ‘Tree Health Champions’ scheme involving Tree Wardens reporting pest and disease sightings to Tree Alert
• develop a ‘Tree Buyers’ checklist for members of the public to ensure that tree purchasing takes place with a full understanding of biosecurity issues
• expand the Tree Health component of our four Seasonal Campaigns e.g. National Tree Week, to build up a year round ‘what to spot’ guide - we will promote this through social and other media to ensure that the health of the tree is always at the forefront of people minds
• continue to promote the importance of tree health to our national network of schools by producing and sharing practical resources to primary, secondary and SEND school teachers
• continue to support Plant Health Week and cross promote messages from other organisations to Tree Council audiences
• publish a ‘Tree Grower’s Guide’ and ‘Good Hedgerow Guide’ over the coming two years, including advice on biosecurity when establishing community nurseries or new hedgerows

Intended outcomes in next 5 years:

• ensure that everyone involved professionally with trees, knows why trees need to be healthy and does everything in their power to deliver and safeguard a healthy treescape – helping particularly to deliver Outcome 2 (A society that values healthy plants)
• develop new public-facing best practice and resources for healthy trees, to engage Tree Wardens, schools (including teachers and pupils) and the wider public in understanding, valuing and protecting our healthy treescape

1. Sources for the importance of plants:

   • 98% oxygen - International Day of Plant Health, 12 May. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (viewed on 3 November 2022)
   • 80% species - Pablo Navarrete-Hernandez, Kate Laffan. ‘A greener urban environment: Designing green infrastructure interventions to promote citizens’ subjective wellbeing’, Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 191, 2019, 103618, ISSN 0169-2046
   • 80% food - Rizzo, D.M., Lichtveld, M., Mazet, J.A.K. et al. ‘Plant health and its effects on food safety and security in a One Health framework: four case studies’. One Health Outlook 3, 6 (2021)
   • medicinal plants - IPBES (2019): ‘Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’. E. S. Brondizio, J. Settele, S. Díaz, and H. T. Ngo (editors). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 1148 pages
   • 1.3 billion air pollutants - ‘UK air pollution removal: how much pollution does vegetation remove in your area?’ Office for National Statistics, 2018
   • 74% GSG emissions - Springman, M. Godfray, H.C.J, Rayner, M, Scarborough, P. ‘Analysis and valuation of the health and climate change cobenefits of dietary change’. PNAS 113 (15) 4146-4151
   • flooding risk - ‘Building greener cities: nine benefits of urban trees’. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) (viewed on 3 November 2022)
   • native trees - ‘Summary of Key Findings: IUCN Red List Status’. European Commission (viewed on 3 November 2022)

   ↩

2. The legislation for this strategy includes Retained EU law: Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants (the ‘Plant Health Regulation’ or ‘PHR’). Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products (the ‘Official Controls Regulation’ or ‘OCR’).

   National legislation in England, Scotland and Wales: The Official Controls (Plant Health and Genetically Modified Organisms) (England) Regulations 2019, The Official Controls (Plant Health and Genetically Modified Organisms) (Wales) Regulations 2020, The Plant Health (Official Controls and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2019, Plant Health etc. (Fees) (England) Regulations 2018, Plant Health (Fees) (Forestry) (England and Scotland) Regulations 2015, Plant Health etc. (Fees) (Wales) Regulations 2018, Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2014, Plant Health (Fees) (Forestry) (Wales) (Regulations 2019), The Plant Health (Export Certification) (Scotland) Order 2018 and The Official Controls (Animals, Feed and Food, Plant Health Fees etc.) Regulations 2019, Plant Health (Brexit) (Scotland) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2021. ↩

3. Sources:

   • Asian Longhorn Beetle - Fielding and others (2016) ‘History and development of an isolated outbreak of Asian longhorn beetle Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in southern England’ Agricultural and Forest Entomology: Volume 18, Issue 3, pages 280-293
   • Ash Dieback - Hill, Jones, Atkinson, Hector, Hemery & Brown, Current Biology 29, R1–R3, May 6, 2019

   ↩