Zeitschrift für Bodenkunde und Pflanzengesundheit

Plant Health as Part of One Health

Maureen Lichtveld

Although plant health is currently part of the definition of One Health, plants have typically not been well integrated into discussions of One Health approaches. However, plant health is vital to sustain human and animal health and a critical component of the complex interactions among the environment, humans, and animals. Recognizing the key role of plants in public health, the United Nations declared the year 2020 to be the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). The overarching purpose of the IYPH was to raise awareness of plant health and its effects on society. Maintaining plant health has important consequences for human and animal health as an important driver of food security and safety, as a source of livelihoods in plant- based agriculture, as a source of pharmaceuticals, and as part of healthy environments.