48th NAPPO Annual Meeting

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Final Report of the 48th Annual NAPPO Meeting

Dear NAPPO stakeholders,
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all who actively participated in the 48th NAPPO Annual Meeting, held in Ottawa, Canada, from October 21 to 23. The event was organized by the NAPPO Secretariat in collaboration with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Canada’s National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO).

Special thanks are due to Chris Moran, Assistant Deputy Minister of International Affairs Branch, CFIA, and Heath McDonald, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, for their opening remarks and warm welcome. I also wish to acknowledge Steve Côté, Chair of the NAPPO Executive Committee and National Manager of the International Phytosanitary Standards Section, and Enrico Perotti, on his first speech as the new IPPC Secretary, for his insightful presentation on the IPPC
update report.

During the meeting, the Secretariat recognized Adnan Uzunovich of the Alternatives to Methyl Bromide expert group and Leigh Greenwood of the Forestry expert group for their outstanding contributions and collaboration. Congratulations were also extended to the Phthorimaea absoluta expert group for their important work in developing an emergency response plan to address this pest in North America.

Government and industry representatives from member countries presented reports, followed by updates from NAPPO expert groups on ongoing projects. I am grateful to the members of our Industry Advisory Group for their valuable input and active participation.

The meeting also featured presentations by guest experts on key plant health topics, and I thank all speakers for generously sharing their knowledge.

A highlight of the event was the Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Plant Health, which underscored the growing role of AI in the sector. Discussions addressed its potential benefits, associated risks, and the legal and ethical considerations of its use. The symposium also provided a valuable forum for industry, government, and academic representatives to showcase practical applications of AI in plant health.

This report includes participants’ PowerPoint (link here to PP presentations) presentations and recordings from speakers who were unable to attend in person but were still eager to contribute their expertise. I hope these materials will serve as a useful resource for both attendees and others interested in the information shared. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to the presentations at the annual meeting.

Once again, thank you for your participation and for helping to make this meeting a success.

Javier Trujillo 
Chief Scientist