Plant Healthcare for Poor Farmers Around the World: Gathering Demand and Innovative Responses

Plant health clinics are described and some early experiences and results presented. There are now 80 independently run clinics active in ten countries and pilots have been held in a further 11 countries. Clinics are demand-led and increase accountability, two key features in improving the quality of advisory services for millions of farmers who have little or no access to regular and reliable support. Innovative responses arising from the clinics include ‘Going Public’, a new extension method, improved surveillance of current and emerging plant diseases (including publication of 40 new disease records) and ethnopathological studies.