The UN General Assembly has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health in order to raise global awareness about how protecting plant health is vital to ending hunger, protecting the environment and boost our economies. 

Helen Grogan is a Horticulture Research Officer with Teagasc. Here she outlines the various threats to plant health in Ireland, the efforts underway in Ireland and at EU level to combat these threats, and why the success of such efforts is vital for all Irish people.