Emerging infectious diseases threatening food security and economies in Africa

Emerging infectious plant diseases (EIPD) pose major challenges to global food systems. We identified 14 EIPDs that can potentially inflict combined production losses worth over US$ 1.4 billion annually on food crops across Africa with implications for the stability of food systems locally and food prices globally. We also identified evolution of hypervirulent pathotypes, introduction of alien invasive species, intensification and simplification of agroecosystems, climate change and lack of biosecurity policies as factors favouring disease emergence. Current research focuses on single host-pathogen interactions and breeding for race-specific resistance although EIPDs continue to overcome the widely deployed resistance genes. We recommend greater emphasis on biosecurity and diversification of agroecosystems to reduce impacts of EIPDs on food systems and local economies.