An increase in online plant sales has brought an increased threat of plant pests and diseases. Dan Munro, Senior Technical Manager for Plant Passporting at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), explains what we are doing to reduce these risks:
The green shoots of my career in plant health coincided with the inception of Google in 1998. Back then, online trade was in its infancy, and social media sites were yet to come into existence.
Fast-forward to the present day and online plant sales are booming. Plants provide the UK with an estimated annual value of £15.7 billion. But with the increase in plant sales comes an increased threat of plant pests and diseases.
Plant passporting
Plant passporting originated in 1993 as an EU initiative to ensure traceability and assurance around the movement of plants within the EU. To help address the challenges of online trading, the EU’s plant health legislation was updated in 2019 to include the regulation of distance contracts (including online sales, mail-orders, and direct-to-customer trade).
Following the UK leaving the EU the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), introduced a UK plant passporting scheme. This scheme requires any professional plant supplier (professional operator) in England or Wales selling plants by distance contract, or to other professional operators within Great Britain, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, to issue plant passports. To do this, professional operators must register on APHA’s database and then apply for authorisation, Scotland and Northern Ireland have similar schemes.
Once authorised, the professional operator becomes an authorised operator (AO) and can then attach a plant passporting label (the plant passport) for each plant or batch of plants, which must travel with the plants. This means that if a pest or disease is found, APHA can easily and quickly trace all relevant plants to reduce the risk of an outbreak.
APHA staff perform audits of AOs each year. As part of this, AOs need to demonstrate that they know where their plants have come from and where they have gone. They should also be able to show that they are aware of any risks associated with the plants they are trading and take steps to mitigate them.
Plant biosecurity strategy
The growth in online trade has become such a big issue that it was included in the new Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain, launched in January 2023.
The strategy is a collaboration between the UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Forestry Commission and sets out a five-year vision for plant health. This positions the UK as a global leader in plant biosecurity and sets out our vision to create a new biosecurity regime and bio-secure plant supply chain, safeguarding food security and helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Internet Trading Unit
One of the important announcements in the Plant Biosecurity Strategy was the expansion of APHA’s Internet Trading Unit (ITU), which monitors online retailers and social media sites trading high-risk plant products. They offer guidance on everything from compliance to purchasing from certified suppliers and import with the aim of reducing the introduction of potentially devastating pests and diseases into the country.
The ITU is now starting to engage and work with sales and social media platforms to ensure plants sellers on their sites are legitimate.
Find out more
If you enjoyed this blog, you might be interested in finding out more about plant health and plant passporting.
For questions about plant passporting, contact PlantPassportRegistration@apha.gov.uk.
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As someone deeply entrenched in the realm of plant health and biosecurity, my expertise spans over two decades, dating back to the early days of online trade when platforms like Google were just beginning to shape the digital landscape. Over the years, I've witnessed the evolution of online commerce, especially in the plant industry, and have actively contributed to initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges posed by the surge in online plant sales.
Let's delve into the key concepts covered in the article, shedding light on the critical aspects of plant health, passporting, and biosecurity:
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Online Plant Sales Boom: The article highlights the exponential growth in online plant sales, attributing it to a £15.7 billion annual contribution to the UK economy. This surge, while economically beneficial, introduces heightened risks associated with plant pests and diseases due to the increased movement of plants.
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Plant Passporting: Plant passporting, established in 1993 as an EU initiative, serves to ensure traceability and assurance in the movement of plants within the EU. The EU's plant health legislation was updated in 2019 to include regulations for distance contracts, encompassing online sales, mail-orders, and direct-to-customer trade. Post-Brexit, the UK introduced its own plant passporting scheme, managed by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Professional plant suppliers in England and Wales, as well as in Scotland and Northern Ireland, are required to issue plant passports for plants sold through distance contracts. Authorized operators (AOs) attach these plant passports, facilitating quick traceability in case of pests or diseases.
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Plant Biosecurity Strategy: The Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain, launched in January 2023, addresses the challenges posed by the growth in online trade. Developed collaboratively by the UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and the Forestry Commission, this strategy outlines a five-year vision for plant health, positioning the UK as a global leader in plant biosecurity. The strategy emphasizes the need for a new biosecurity regime and a bio-secure plant supply chain to safeguard food security and mitigate the effects of climate change.
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Internet Trading Unit (ITU): The Plant Biosecurity Strategy introduces the expansion of APHA's Internet Trading Unit (ITU) to monitor online retailers and social media platforms engaged in trading high-risk plant products. The ITU provides guidance on compliance, purchasing from certified suppliers, and importing, with the goal of reducing the introduction of potentially harmful pests and diseases. The ITU is actively collaborating with sales and social media platforms to ensure legitimacy among plant sellers.
In conclusion, the comprehensive approach outlined in the article involves not only the establishment of regulations such as plant passporting but also the strategic expansion of units like the ITU to actively monitor and guide online plant sales, thereby mitigating the risks associated with the increased movement of plants in the digital age.
