Africa and Australia working together on biosecurity

23 October 2015. Melbourne, Australia. Fifteen Senior Biosecurity Fellows from Africa have begun an intensive six weeks studying Australia’s globally recognised plant biosecurity system, beginning today with a week-long workshop at AgriBio in Melbourne.

The Fellows are the first members of the Africa Plant Biosecurity network, which aims to improve plant biosecurity and safe trade of agricultural products in ten east and southern African countries; Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The six weeks in Australia will include individual three week placements with a range of State and Federal Governments, and biosecurity research organisations in New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT. The Fellows will spend some of this time working with their host agencies on priority African plant pest and disease issues.

The Australia-Africa Plant Biosecurity Partnership is funded by the Australian International Food Security Research Centre (AIFSRC), within the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The program is being delivered by a consortium of PBCRC, ACIAR, CABI, CSIRO and the Crawford Fund.