The #PlantHealth4Life campaign has been running across Europe for the third year in a row. This year’s edition brings together the 26 EU Member States, five pre-accession countries and Switzerland. The Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food (HAPIH), as the national campaign ambassador, gathered experts, parents, travelers and nature lovers at the Botanical Garden in Zagreb to show that each of us can be part of the solution. In a dynamic panel discussion, it was discussed how small decisions such as careful selection of plants, responsible travel behavior or education of children can prevent issues in the future.
The conversation connected different perspectives: scientific and professional, which was presented by Dario Ivić, PhD, ambassador of the campaign, and institutional through the experience of Marijana Kelava from the Ministry of Agriculture. From the personal perspective, Gabriela Vukić spoke about the role of parents in creating sustainable habits, while Iva Kordić shared the perspective of a traveler and the importance of responsible behaviour while traveling. The creative dimension was brought by Maja Subotić, who showed how working with plants and design can open up new perspectives on the relationship between man and nature.
“Foreign plant pests are spreading to new areas faster than ever. They come from distant parts of the world and make themselves at home in the fields, orchards, forests, but also in our gardens and parks. We can all contribute to preventing their spreading”, emphasized Hrvoje Hefer, Director of HAPIH.
“We rarely think about plant health until a problem occurs, and not only humans have globalized, but microorganisms and pests as well,” warned Dario Ivić from HAPIH, while Marijana Kelava, head of the Department of Plant Health at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, added that prevention and education remain the biggest challenge: “People love exotic plants, but rarely check their origin.”
This topic is not only directed at experts, which was also shown by the personal dimension of the discussion. Gabriela Vukić, mother and influencer, emphasized that caring for plants begins at home and raising children: “If we teach them from an early age that nature should be protected, they will carry that value for the rest of their lives.” The travel perspective came through the experience of journalist Iva Kordić, who emphasized that: “our admiration for nature and curiosity must go hand in hand with responsibility. A creative view was offered by floral designer Maja Subotić: “In sustainable floriculture, aesthetics never go without deeper reflection. Every plant has a story and it’s important to know where it comes from.”
The conclusion of the event was clear: everyone can contribute to the preservation of plant health. From not bringing plants across borders, to buying seedlings from authorized retailers, to talking to children about the importance of preserving nature – small changes mean a lot. The campaign #PlantHealth4Life reminds us that responsible behavior today preserves our environment and plant safety for generations to come.
Visit the #PlantHealth4Life campaign website and find out how the campaign encourages the public to protect plant health.
