Last weekend, at the international Autumn Fair in Bjelovar, in a village named Gudovac, the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food (HAPIH) presented numerous activities of its Centers at its stand. Considering that HAPIH is the national ambassador of the PlantHealth4Life campaign of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), the Bjelovar fair was an opportunity for its promotion. This campaign aims to raise citizens’ awareness of the importance of preserving plant health in Croatia by appealing to their responsible behavior during travelling, especially to countries outside the European Union, from which it is better to return with photos of plants instead of importing plants that do not have a plant passport, in order to avoid introduction of undesirable pests, i.e. the causative agents of plant diseases.
Thus, the #PlantHealth4Life campaign is primarily aimed at curious travelers who enjoy exploring the world and nature and bring home plants and seeds as souvenirs or gifts for family and friends; home gardeners and hobby farmers who enjoy taking care of their plants and buying and exchanging plants and plant products with other plant lovers, as well as conscientious young parents who are concerned about the safety of the food their children eat and strive to preserve the environment and biodiversity for future generations.
Numerous visitors recognized themselves in these target groups. The visitors had the opportunity to take a photo with Pesty, the recognizable mascot of the campaign and they received appropriate promotional materials along with more information about the plant passport as an accompanying document with plants, seeds or plant material, which guarantees traceability and compliance with plant health regulations and facilitates smooth trade within the EU.
This year, the campaign is being implemented in 21 European countries and one country that is a beneficiary of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), namely: Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Montenegro and, for the first time, in Croatia.
