Year of publication 2023

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Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

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Pages 9

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Publisher FAO ;

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Product type Project

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Synopsis (short abstract) Fall armyworm ( is a noctuid moth native to the Americas, which is considered a pest due to the substantial agricultural damage it can cause Its larvae feed on over 80 crop species, including maize, rice, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, cotton, and various vegetable species, thus posing a threat to vital rural economies The FAW was reported in Africa for the first time in early 2016 in West and Central African countries and rapidly spread throughout sub Saharan Africa, causing significant agricultural and economic losses The emergence of the FAW was confirmed in India and Yemen in July 2018 and was later reported in Bangladesh Sri Lanka, and Thailand by 2019 A decline in agricultural productivity jeopardizes not only food security but also the livelihoods of farmers Because of crop trade and the moth's remarkable flying capacity, the FAW has the potential to spread to further countries, posing a major risk to crop production, particularly cereals In light of this, many countries have requested assistance to fight against the spread of the FAW and acquire management techniques, as well as monitoring and surveillance for early detection FAO initiated the Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control 2019 2022 as an urgent response to the rapid spread of the FAW This initiative assists smallholder farmers, their associations, public institutions, national governments, and development partners in responding rapidly to FAW infestation In this regard, FAO created a free mobile application for real time FAW monitoring, the fall armyworm monitoring and early warning system ( The Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control has established a global coordination structure to foster an open and collaborative dialogue towards achieving science based solutions This coordination structure is composed of a steering committee ( a working group on resource mobilization ( a technical committee ( and seven technical working groups ( In addition, national task forces ( were created at country levels FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division ( provides technical leadership through the FAW Secretariat, in collaboration with the International Plant Protection Convention ( Secretariat This approach allows all stakeholders, scientists, and governments to interactively discuss challenges and propose solutions that are tailored to each country The project took part in these coordination efforts and sought to assist newly infested countries in taking immediate action in response to the emergence of the FAWFall armyworm ( is a noctuid moth native to the Americas, which is considered a pest.

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Language English

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Also available in:

• French

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