Now in its fifth year, National Plant Health Week, runs from the 5th-12th of May 2025 and will feature a series of events and activities that culminate on the United Nations International Day of Plant Health.
By protecting plant health, we protect the benefits plants provide to all of us, to wildlife, the environment and our economy. Plants, not only contribute an annual value to society of £15.7 billion, but they produce 98% of the oxygen we breathe and 80% of the food eaten comes from plants. Plants help fight climate change and it is estimated that 4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide is stored in UK forests. An estimated 20% to 40% of global food production is lost annually due to plant pest and diseases. Food security therefore relies on safeguarding the health of our plants from pest and disease outbreaks.
A collaborative effort, National Plant Week is organised by over 30 organisations across the UK who are committed to protect the health of the nation’s plants and trees. Themed “one health” for 2025, National Plant Week aims to safeguard the health of plants and trees and the benefits they provide for society, the environment and the economy. To support this work, the campaign is focussed on education, training, and citizen science work, to amplify the vital messages surrounding plant health.
In 2023, Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs published the Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain (2023), the vision of which was to “To protect Great Britain’s plants through a strong partnership of government, industry, and the public, working together to reduce and manage risks posed by plant pests and pathogens, and facilitate safe trade. One of the key outcomes within the strategy is to create a society the values healthy plants. We aim to this by raising awareness of the importance of healthy plants and trees and encouraging the adoption of responsible behaviours across society.”
For 2025 the focus of the National Plant Week campaign is on celebrating the importance of being a “good plant health citizen”. The 30 partners collaborating on the campaign explain that protecting the UK from plants pests and diseases is far more cost effective than dealing with plant health outbreaks. Whilst the government and the plant sector, lead the way and take actions to address these threats, we all have a role to play in keeping our plants healthy.
By means of the annual campaign, the organisers hope to encourage the public and professional to be able to spot signs of pests and diseases to supports monitoring and surveillance work – contributing to ongoing scientific research. In addition, with their ‘Don’t risk it!’, the campaign aims to highlight the dangers of bringing in plant material (plants, trees, fruit and seeds) into the UK from trips abroad as they potentially carry harmful pests and diseases. Furthermore, responsible buying of plants and trees from reputable nurseries and suppliers, such as those with Plant Healthy certification. “Keep it clean” messaging in the campaign aims to ensure awareness of effective biosecurity to keep our environment healthy.
Economic value of plants
Economically, plants provide an annual value to our society of £15.7 billion. In 2023, trade in plants and plant commodities was worth around £18.1 bn annually of which £16.3bn was imports to the UK (Forest Research, 2024). There are approximately 32,000 ornamental horticulture businesses in the UK supporting the employment of 335,200 workers and contributing £11.4bn to the UK economy. According to the 2019 Ornamental Horticulture Skills Survey, in 2023 there were an estimated 1,400 garden centres and retail nurseries in the UK. The Horticultural Trades Association estimated that UK households spent an estimated £13.2 billion on garden goods in 2023, equivalent to £1 in every £100 of household spending. Consumer research shows that around £1 in every £10 of expenditure on garden plants is now spent online
Full list of events held for Plant Health Week, including activities organised by Forestry Commission, the Royal Horticultural Society and the Tree Council, can be found here.
