The effects on the economy and on individual access to food could be disastrous, the researchers write, affecting “food security, national security and human health, with serious economic implications for agriculture.” Better monitoring of emergent plant diseases could help — and recent analyses suggest that even though many plant pests and pathogens have not been observed, they are probably already present and waiting in the wings. But underfunding, policy challenges and a lack of data sharing hinder attempts to gain a real-time perspective on plant pathogens.

Read More