Xylella fastidiosa: Imminent risk to food security in Near East and North Africa Region
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The first report of Xylella fastidiosa in southern Italy in 2013 has triggered great anxiety for agriculture business in the Mediterranean region. The presence of such a pathogen poses a serious threat to crop production, food security and employment in the rural areas in the region. The pathogen has the ability to infect 560 plant species and spread through insect vectors. The favourable climatic conditions, the abundance of insect vectors and the wide distribution of host plants would foster the spread of the disease. Plants for planting are considered the most likely means of long-distance spread. Thus, the risk for NENA countries has enlarged as they are the main importers of plant propagation . For this reason, such “silent killer” requires effective surveillance system to be operational before significant damage can be noticed, to act as an early warning system.