New €6m initiative targets climate- and trade-driven surge in crop pests

The University of Warwick is leading a €6 million European project, PhytoPRISM, to develop a coordinated platform for managing invasive plant pests and diseases exacerbated by climate change and global trade. The initiative, involving 15 institutions across eight countries, aims to help authorities model and optimize pest management strategies across the agri-food and forestry sectors, moving beyond fragmented and reactive approaches. By providing open-access decision-support tools and testing interventions on key European quarantine pests, the project seeks to balance food security, sustainability, and reduced reliance on chemical controls. The effort comes as climate pressures and globalization intensify threats to European agriculture, highlighting the need for more proactive, data-driven responses.