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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Commission (EC), and their partners across Europe have launched the third year of the #PlantHealth4Life campaign, a cross-border initiative to protect plant health and raise public awareness of its importance to our environment, economy, and daily lives. 
Kicking off in May 2025, the campaign brings fresh energy and a new focus, building on the momentum of the previous two years to drive deeper engagement both within and beyond the European Union.  
“A plant isn’t just a plant — it can carry other living organisms too,” said Giuseppe Stancanelli, Team Leader for Plant Health Risk Assessment at EFSA. “In our interconnected world, plants move more than ever. That’s why the EU relies on science-based risk assessment to understand and manage potential threats to plant health— helping to protect our environment, agriculture, and biodiversity. Through the #PlantHealth4Life campaign, we’re raising awareness across Europe.” 
With a stronger focus on participation, collaboration, and citizen empowerment, this year’s #PlantHealth4Life campaign brings together partners from 26 EU Member States, 5 EU pre-accession countries, and Switzerland to raise awareness and inspire critical thinking about the vital links between healthy plants, the environment, and our everyday lives. Emphasising practical action and community involvement, the campaign encourages informed citizens not only to reflect, but also to share their knowledge and inspire others to join in the collective effort to safeguard our ecosystems and economies. 
How does plant health affect our lives? 
Plants make up 80% of the food we eat, feed the animals we raise for food, and clean the air we breathe. But that’s not all: healthy plants mean good agricultural yield, which impacts food availability and food prices for consumers. Climate change and human activities, such as trade and travel put plants under heavy pressure. The spread of plant pests and diseases can have devastating economic and environmental consequences. For example, outbreaks of the bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa, have devastated olive groves in southern Italy for over a decade, leading to the loss of millions of trees and threatening biodiversity and local economies. 
However, many citizens remain unaware of why plant health matters. #PlantHealth4Life aims to raise collective awareness about risks to plant health and about the role each of us can play to protect plants. 
Andrzej Chodkowski, Chief Inspector of Plant Health in Poland, encourages ‘everyone to cooperate and take care of the plants in your immediate surroundings so that we can enjoy their rich greenery and together bring to life the idea: ‘Protecting Plants, Protecting Life!’ 
Spread the word and get involved!  
The campaign is open to everyone, with a particular focus on:  
· Curious travelers  who love exploring the world and nature. 
· Gardeners who grow and take care of your vegetables, flowers and trees at home.        
· Parents who are concerned about the food their children eat, and eager to protect farming communities, the environment and biodiversity for future generations. 
This year, #PlantHealth4Life will once again tour fairs, exhibitions, and schools in participating countries. Check out the national page of the campaign website to see what’s going on in your country and stay tuned for more information as it becomes available!  
About the campaign 
The campaign continues to extend its scope and reach,  welcoming 10 newcomers in 2025: Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, the Netherlands, and Romania join the existing 21 EU Member States: Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. Four new pre-accession countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo*, and Türkiye join Montenegro as #PlantHealth4Life members, alongside Switzerland.    
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence. 
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Should you wash fruit even if you don’t eat the peel? Would you dare eat cricket-based hamburgers? Do you trust the food you eat? 
Keen to find out more about the science behind safe food? Then welcome to ‘Science on the menu’, a podcast produced by the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA. We are a European agency located in Parma, Italy, that assesses and communicates on food risks. Each episode will tell you more about the work done to ensure that food across the European Union is safe. Come join us at our table for Science on the menu.
For inquiries please contact:
EFSA Press
+39 0521 036 149
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European Food Safety Authority, Via Carlo Magno 1/a, Parma, . 43126 Italy