Biosecurity An Integral Part of Global Food Security Strategy

Biosecurity encompasses all policy, planning, science and underpinning operations in safeguarding the natural resources from biological threats. This paper raises concerns regarding apparent lack of adequate attention given to the biosecurity issues as a part of global food security strategy, which may imperil the global investment for achieving food security. Dispersal of harmful organisms via enhanced global trade, transport and travel has exposed the global food production systems to unprecedented biosecurity risks. This would potentially result in food insecurity in the developing countries that have virtually non-existent biosecurity systems to protect their food crops and environment from influx of harmful organisms. Several examples on biosecurity threats to agro-ecosystems particularly to agri-horticultural crops in developed and developing nations including risk of food-aid programmes are quoted. The adverse impact of these organisms if allowed to establish in the invaded regions is most likely to be intergenerational and irreversible. Safeguarding the food supply chain from the biosecurity threats by implementing effective biosecurity risk management systems is absolutely necessary to meet the food security goal.