Introduction
Of the global population of more
than 7 billion people, some 800 million do not have enough to eat today. By
2050, the population is expected to exceed 9 billion. It has been estimated
that some 15% of food production is lost to plant diseases; in developing countries
losses may be much higher.
Historically, plant diseases have
had catastrophic impact on food production. For example: potato blight caused
the Irish famine in 1845; brown spot of rice caused the Great Bengal Famine of
1943; southern corn leaf blight caused a devastating epidemic on the US corn
crop in 1970. Food security is threatened by an ongoing sequence of plant
diseases, some persistent for decades or centuries, others more opportunistic.
Wheat blast and banana xanthomonas wilt are two contrasting examples of many
that currently threaten food production. Other emerging diseases will follow.
The proposed title aims to provide a synthesis of expert knowledge to address
this central challenge to food security for the 21st century.