Technical guidance on desert locust

Historically, locusts have plagued agrifood production in many parts of northern Africa, the Near East, and South Asia, routinely leading to widespread famine, social upheaval and loss of rural livelihoods. Though the desert locust poses a serious threat to food and nutrition security in many countries, there are also several other voracious locust species threatening agriculture in Asia. Weather anomalies, such as a heavy rain after a prolonged drought, create favourable breeding conditions, and plagues of locusts can rapidly propagate across agricultural landscapes without regard for national boundaries. Billions of locusts disperse in swarms, covering hundreds of kilometres in days, voraciously feeding on all standing vegetation in farmland and natural habitats. These transboundary pests have a protracted negative impact on agrifood supply chains and they compromise the availability of fodder and livestock production, derailing rural economic activities. In their desperation to deal with such locust outbreaks, farmers often resort to using broad-scale (aerial) applications of chemical pesticides, which negatively
impact human and animal health while also harming the environment.

The technical guidance on sustainable desert locust management for 2022 to 2026 respond to this crisis. The guidance provide a path towards regionally coordinated efforts to manage the desert locust, to advance monitoring and earlywarning activities, and to promote pest control practices (e.g. biopesticides) that protect human and animal health as well as the environmental. This approach will minimize the impact of the desert locust on Asian food and livelihood security while simultaneously advance pest management strategies that safeguard the environment.

The guidance contribute toward bridging the gap between “know-how” and “do-how” approaches in the plant protection programmes and policies of various Asia-Pacific countries.