Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy 2026-2030

The Strategy aims to protect Ireland’s agriculture, horticulture and forestry sectors and the wider environment from plant pests and diseases thereby safeguarding food security, facilitating safe trade and protecting the environment.

The Strategy acknowledges Ireland’s key natural advantages, geographical isolation and temperate climate, which help prevent pest and disease incursions and outbreaks but it also identifies that risks to plant health are increasing due to increased globalisation, e-commerce and climate change.

The Strategy sets out three strategic goals in relation to: risk anticipation, risk surveillance and management, and risk awareness and communication. With 15 strategic objectives and 45 priority actions that are practical, forward looking and achievable.

The Strategy recognises the importance of cooperation; between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Agriculture, Environment, Rural Affairs and the Agri-Food and Bioscience Institute in Northern Ireland to maintain an all-island approach to safeguard plant health and biosecurity, as well as the ongoing cooperation and collaboration at European and International level and with stakeholders including the Plant Health and Biosecurity Stakeholder Network and Forest Health Stakeholder Network.