With a focus on ships and cargo, we are missing the opportunity to prevent pests that ride in on the wind. It is time to invest in addressing the biosecurity threats before they arrive.
Plant diseases require as much attention now as ever to ensure that food systems are in place in the next season. There are also serious implications for forestry and the environment more broadly.
Farmers should use biopesticides - naturally occurring substances that kill pests such as the fall armyworm - instead of using pesticides, which are often highly toxic.
Fall armyworms have a number of characteristics that make them particularly hard to control. They are strong fliers, can breed at a high rate and also develop quick resistance to pesticides.