Desert locust threat to agricultural development and food security and FAO-international role in its control

Abstract EN

The Desert Locust remains a major threat for food safety and social stability, in particular for many rural populations living from an agriculture at high climatic risk.

To control the invasions represents a high cost for the affected countries, the international community and a threat for the environment.

FAO and its Locust and Others Migratory Pests Group play, at the international level, an irreplaceable part in the coordination of the activities for monitoring and control.

During the last years, they had a driving role to reinforce the regional co-operation, to improve the techniques for survey and control, to promote via the EMPRES program a renovated preventative strategy.

This program is vital to ensure the sustainability of the early warning system to prevent in the future major plagues of the Desert Locust.