On 13 October 2025, PlantwisePlus and its core donors co-hosted a networking reception at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome to celebrate five years of the programme. Following the FAO’s Science and Innovation Forum, diplomats from countries across the global North and South, FAO colleagues, and agricultural researchers came together to reflect on the programme’s achievements and ambitions over the next five years.
A milestone in sustainable crop production
Since its launch in 2021, CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme has reached over 40 million smallholder farmers across 27 low- and middle-income countries. It helps farmers address plant health threats amid climate change by equipping them with practical knowledge and sustainable crop production practices.
The event offered an opportunity to showcase the programme’s progress and recognize the more than 300 critical partnerships that have made this impact possible. Dr Ulrich Kuhlmann, PlantwisePlus Programme Executive, welcomed guests and expressed deep gratitude to the co-hosts for their continued support.
The core donors of PlantwisePlus co-hosted the event: the Netherlands, the European Commission, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. Special thanks were reserved for Switzerland, which played a particularly important role in organizing the event.
Manfred Kaufmann, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN organisations in Rome, delivered welcome remarks. His supportive address highlighted the importance of innovation and collaboration in strengthening global food systems. His Excellency Martin Selmayr, Ambassador of the European Union to the UN organisations in Rome, also delivered welcome remarks. He emphasized how programmes like PlantwisePlus strengthen resilience and contribute directly to food security.
Innovation on display
Beyond the reception, PlantwisePlus also maintained a presence with an exhibition stand at the Science and Innovation Forum itself. Visitors to the stand could discover the programme’s world-leading digital tools firsthand:
● Horizon Scanning Tool, which uses data to identify and categorize species that have the potential to enter a geographic area.
● CABI BioProtection portal, a multilingual directory of nationally registered biocontrols and biopesticide crop protection products, with resources and guidance on their best use.
These tools reflect the commitment of PlantwisePlus to supporting pest preparedness across the plant health system. They promote pesticide risk reduction practices and strengthen farmer advisory services
Recognition from FAO
The week also held additional significance for CABI. The organization received Global Technical Recognition from FAO for its technical leadership, collaboration, and innovation in sustainable agrifood systems transformation. CABI was honoured to be selected as a recipient in the Sustainable Plant Production and Protection category. This recognition validates decades of work supporting smallholder farmers through science-based solutions.
Dr Janny Vos, CABI’s Partnerships Development Director, who attended the recognition ceremony, said, “CABI’s approach to sustainable plant health management includes regulatory and advisory services to reduce farmers’ reliance on high-risk pesticides, supporting adherence to relevant international standards.”
Looking ahead
Over the coming five years, PlantwisePlus will continue to strive to meet its target of empowering 75 million smallholder farmers. This ambitious target requires continued partnership and collective action. This event in Rome demonstrated the strength of existing collaborations while opening the door to future partnerships.
As Dr Kuhlmann noted in his remarks, “Together, we’d like to reflect on what has worked, identify where further efforts are needed, and discuss how collective action and partnership can help us go further.”
The event served as both a celebration of what has been achieved and an invitation to join the journey ahead.
PlantwisePlus – supporting countries with pest preparedness for food security
CABI wins FAO Partnership Award 2024 in recognition of efforts towards sustainable development
PlantwisePlus gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Directorate-General for International Cooperation, Netherlands (DGIS); European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships (INTPA); UK International Development from the UK government; and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
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