• For results of the Challenge please click here.
  
  

• The Invitation to the Challenge follows:

The International Society for Plant Pathology (ISPP) invites submissions of ideas that will enable plant pathology to contribute to the challenge of global food security.

• This is a call for innovative ideas that facilitate progress towards world food security.
• This document summarizes the work started by ISPP's Task Force on Global Food Security.
• It invites submission of proposals that, supported by ISPP, might further its objectives.

In an effort to distribute this call to interested plant pathologists, this document may be forwarded to relevant newsletters, organizations and individuals.

Submissions will be reviewed by the ISPP Task Force on Global Food Security. Its recommendations will be ratified by ISPP's Executive Committee, and then presented to the ISPP Council for possible action that may include public commendation for implementation, and/or a monetary award of up to $50,000 to support the development of the selected projects.

Those who wish to submit a proposal should first review the description of the formation and work of the ISPP Task Force on Global Food Security found on the ISPP Web site at http://www.isppweb.org/gfshome.htm. The Task Force activities may be used as models for formatting the new ideas or projects submitted.

Summary of activities already in hand:

ISPP, in its role as an international scientific society that represents the national plant pathology societies of the world, has an important responsibility to present the significance of plant pathology effectively to policy makers and to the public. This function is of special importance in the context of global food security. See http://www.isppweb.org/gfsrep1.htm

ISPP's Task Force on Global Food Security has initiated activities considered to be:

• appropriate to the status of ISPP
• achievable within a time frame of 3 years
• capable of being resourced
• likely to deliver tangible results that will effect useful change.

Papers appended to this Report list five activities adopted by ISPP on the recommendation of the Task Force. Each includes:

• Rationale
• Objectives
• Activities plan
• Anticipated outputs
• Resource requirements.

Clearly these proposals are a minor contribution to the enormous global challenge of food security. Nevertheless, they were chosen because they are expected to yield results that will make a difference and their scale is in line with what ISPP can expect to achieve. Work is already in progress on these activities and on securing the resources necessary for their implementation. Progress will be reported to ISPP Membership through Councilors. Feedback from the Membership will be encouraged to guide the program as it develops.

Activity 1. Changing public policy and opinions on global food security

Activity 2. Enhanced PhD training for plant pathology in developing countries

Activity 3. Quantification of the economic impact of some major diseases

Activity 4. Farmer training in simple disease management: pilot project for cassava in Ghana

Activity 5. Development of the ISPP Website www.isppweb.org

Invitation to submit your proposal for support by ISPP:

You are invited to submit your proposal for an idea or project that will enable plant pathology to contribute to the challenge of global food security.

You are asked to be brief (not more than two pages) and to follow the format of the Task Force Activities, including Rationale, Objectives, Activities plan, Anticipated outputs, and Resource requirements.

You should include an account of the resources that you and your organization will contribute to the project, together with proposals for co-funding the proposal from other sources if it is necessary to supplement the resources awarded by ISPP.

You may submit proposals that develop the activities of the Task Force, or that initiate new activities.

Submissions should be sent via email to ISPP Secretary General Charles Delp at charliedelp@hotmail.com no later than January 20, 2003.