IAPPS NEWSLETTER

Number V      May, 2004

DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW PROGRAM STRATEGY FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE PLANT PROTECTION SCIENCES (IAPPS)

A special meeting of the IAPPS Governing Board convened in September, 2003 (Brussels, Belgium) to review the implementation status of the Association since its inauguration in July, 1999 and to evaluate the impact of the Association's activities to date. The following implementation achievements were reported:
  1. IAPPS was registered as a non-profit corporation in the State of North Carolina (USA) and is tax exempt under code 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal revenue Service.
  2. The Governing Board comprising 16 voting and one ex officio non-voting member has been established.
  3. Eight Regional Network Centers have been designated and Regional Coordinators appointed.
  4. Through a contract with Elsevier Science (Amsterdam), the journal Crop Protection is designated as the Official Journal of IAPPS.
  5. The concept of a Global Pest Surveillance system has been promoted as a means of systematically reporting on unusual plant pest occurrences in each country.
  6. The IAPPS Web Site is well established (http://www.plantprotection.org). It is managed by the NSF Center for IPM at North Carolina State University.
  7. A credit card service has been contracted which is accessed through the Web Site to facilitate payment of membership fees.
  8. Individual Membership total in 2003: 85 (down from 100+ in 2002).
  9. The IAPPS Newsletter is published regularly in the Crop Protection Journal and also in the IAPPS Web Site.
  10. A Membership Manager has been contracted (part-time) to handle all matters dealing with memberships.
  11. Through an agreement with the Editor, members of IAPPS receive the monthly newsletter <IPMnet>, an electronic, global IPM information resource produced by the Consortium for International Crop Protection.
  12. In 2002 IAPPS became a member of the Inter-Institutional Working Group of the CGIAR Systemwide Program on Integrated Pest Management which provided broadened visibility and new project linkage options.
  13. Paid advertisements have been tried as a means of promoting individual IAPPS memberships but without significant results. The conclusion from the self-assessment meeting in Brussels was that IAPPS had neither gained extensive visibility as a plant protection organization nor produced significant impact in promoting improved plant protection programs.

Following the Brussels meeting, the IAPPS Executive Committee approved the appointment of a Strategy Team to review the Association's activities and to develop a new strategy that could be expected to be more effective in achieving the goals and objectives of IAPPS. Dr. Pierre Urech (former member of the IAPPS Governing Board) was contracted to lead the New Strategy Team. Other members were Drs Manuele Tamò and Braima James.

The Strategy Team options for programmatic/organizational changes in IAPPS were presented via e-mail to the IAPPS Governing Board for comment on 23 October 2003 with responses requested by mid-November. It was also recommended that the IAPPS Executive Committee should meet to finalize a "New Strategy Proposal" for approval by the Governing Board (by e-mail ballot) and by the IAPPS General Assembly during the 15th International Plant Protection Congress in Beijing, China (11-16 May 2004).

The IAPPS Executive Committee met in Zurich, Switzerland during 27-28 January 2004 to review and finalize the "New Strategy Proposal". The participants in the meeting were: Dr. Hans Herren, President; Dr. J. Lawrence Apple, Secretary General; Dr. Baruch Rubin, Vice President; Dr. Bill Tweedy, Treasurer, Dr. Manuele Tamò, Newsletter Editor, and Dr. Pierre Urech, Consultant.

The Executive Committee decisions on the "New Strategy" proposals are summarized below:

  1. New vision statement: A global forum of scientists providing information and policy advice on sustainable plant health management practices.

  2. New mission statement: To advocate implementation of sustainable plant health management strategies.

  3. New goal statement: To ensure production of sufficient quality food/feed/fiber for a growing world population.

  4. The concept of a new paradigm for sustainable plant health management will be developed to assist in marketing the IAPPS image.

  5. Develop a statement on Affiliate Memberships that demonstrates complementarity and value-added on behalf of societies and congresses that affiliate with IAPPS.

  6. Maintain present name and logo for the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences (IAPPS).

  7. Maintain present IAPPS annual membership fees: Industrialized countries - $30; Developing Countries - $15; and students - $10.

  8. IAPPS and its members must become more proactive in working with governmental organizations; must broaden its membership base; seek ways to enhance its visibility; broaden base of donors; gain capacity for part-time staff.

  9. The IAPPS Newsletter will be sent by e-mail to the membership (and others?). The option for continuation of newsletter in Crop Protection beyond 2004 will be determined by negotiations for new contract with Elsevier.

  10. New members recruited during the 15th IPPC in Beijing will receive a free membership for the remainder of 2004 with access to the electronic edition of Crop Protection.

  11. Consideration will be given to the development of program materials through IAPPS that will appeal to the "Food Safety Interests" as a potential membership constituency.

  12. The International Plant Protection Congress in 2007 (IPPC-2007) will be organized by the British Crop Protection Council (BCPC) in Glasgow, Scotland. The organizational plan for IPPC-2007 submitted by BCPC was approved.

    1. IAPPS will have a representative on the Organizing Committee (to be appointed).
    2. A BCPC representative will make a presentation during the closing program in Beijing and also to the Governing Board.
    3. IAPPS will have input into the naming of the Congress.

  13. The organizational structure with the eight (8) regional centers will be retained; however, it is recommended that China will be removed from Region V (East/Southeast Asia) and designated as the new Region VI.

  14. The job description for the Regional Coordinators will be revised (draft to be provided by Dr. Urech).

  15. The Executive Committee is actively recruiting candidates for IAPPS officer and regional coordinator positions to be elected during the Beijing Congress.

  16. IAPPS has a continuing interest in collaborative linkages with the Subcommittee on Crop Protection Chemistry of IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry). This is being pursued by Dr. Baruch Rubin, a member of this IUPAC Subcommittee.

  17. Candidates for the IAPPS Award of Distinction were selected and will be notified by the Secretary General. Eligibility for the award is also contingent upon expressed intention to attend the Congress in Beijing.

  18. IAPPS will request a booth at the Congress in Beijing and a new IAPPS promotional brochure must be produced. Dr. Tamò agreed to edit the current brochure.

  19. Concomitant with the transition of leadership following the Congress in Beijing, responsibility for the IAPPS Web Site will be transferred to IITA-BCCA at Cotonou, Benin.

J. Lawrence Apple, Ph.D. j_apple@ncsu.edu
IAPPS Secretary General
Professor Emeritus
Plant Pathology/Genetics
North Carolina State University

The IAPPS Newsletter is published by the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences and distributed in Crop Protection to members and other subscribers. Crop Protection, published by Elsevier, is the Official Journal of IAPPS.

IAPPS Mission: to provide a global forum for the purpose of identifying, evaluating, integrating, and promoting plant protection concepts, technologies, and policies that are economically, environmentally, and socially acceptable.

It seeks to provide a global umbrella for the plant protection sciences to facilitate and promote the application of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to a the world's crop and forest ecosystems.

Membership Information: IAPPS has four classes of membership (individual, affiliate, associate, and corporate) which are described here.

The IAPPS Newsletter welcomes news, letters, and other items of interest from individuals and organizations. Address correspondence and information to:

Dr. Manuele Tamo, Editor
IAPPS Newsletter
Biological Control Center for Africa, IITA-Benin
08 B.P. 0932 Tri Postal, Cotonou, Republic of Benin
E-mail: m.tamo@cgiar.org