The Secret (Pandemic) Life of Plants

 As COVID rises and falls only to rise again, we are deeply focused on human survival and resistance. Where we are otherwise distracted by nature’s harshness, it is generally over the horrific and never-ending aspects of climate change and those disasters that impact human communities. From fires and floods to desertification, coastal erosion and severe tropical storms. The subtle changes, not really that subtle, include the migration of disease carrying insects to the warming regions, and perhaps the migration of human beings away from increasingly barren land.

Global warming also provides an environmental change that can move plant diseases, harmful plant destroying insects, into ecosystems that have absolutely no resistance to the rising destructive challenges. Plant killers are moving into their unprepared “neighborhoods.” If human beings can be devastated by roiling disease, the same can be said for plant life, on land or in the sea. Many trees, for example, weakened by accelerating heat and dryness, become particularly vulnerable to insect “predators,” fungi, bacteria, etc. Whole forests and jungles can very literally be eaten alive. Pictured above. Destroying the same CO2 absorbing greenery that fights against the flood of greenhouse gas, generating precious oxygen for us all.

For selfish humans, arrogantly believing that they have a right to survive above all other life, the issue generally devolves around agriculture: food production. Writing for the July 21st FastCompany.com, Jacqueline Heard (CEO of Enko, a company providing safe and sustainable solutions to farmers facing crop threats) lays it on the line: “Across farms worldwide, there are now warning signs of a pandemic in food crops. More than 600 pest species have developed some form of resistance to pesticides, which causes $10 billion in losses in the United States alone each year. Climate volatility intensifies these threats, and many crops are already suffering—citrus blight and banana fungus wreak havoc for growers and supply chains. With global food supplies vulnerable and food prices at their highest in almost a decade, a plant pandemic could push more people into poverty and cause social unrest.”

Indeed, given the relative inaction (mostly post-outbreak reaction, most of which was slow and ineffective) to the COVID devastation, can we expect much in the way of global preparation for the rising assault on food production, perhaps even a series of plant pandemics that might mirror humanity’s struggles with the COVID virus? Or will we have to face mass starvation before we begin to take necessary corrective steps? What do we face and what can we realistically do? Heard continues: “Agricultural research and development pipelines are long: it takes an average of 10 to 12 years for scientists to discover and develop new products that will help farmers protect their crops from emerging pests, weeds and diseases.

“Growers around the world can’t afford to wait a decade for solutions to the problems they face. Historic droughts in the American West could wipe out a tenth of the San Joaquin Valley’s acreage for agricultural production in the coming years. In Ecuador, a fungus outbreak threatens the banana crop on which 17% of Ecuadorians’ livelihoods depend. Climate change will worsen these problems: as global temperatures rise, pests will emerge in new geographies and new diseases will infect crops.

“The agricultural industry can develop solutions now by investing in cutting-edge technologies and prioritizing safety in their design. For example, CRISPR—which could revolutionize human healthcare—will play a key role in crop health too. Scientists are already using gene editing to develop more resilient seeds and plants that can sequester more carbon. Other technologies that originated in pharma, like targeted protein degradation, also have promising applications in agriculture, from helping control weeds to addressing how intrusive plants are becoming resistant to current agricultural methods. Tech governance should strike a balance between prioritizing safety and supporting these innovations, not dampening them. New technologies designed with safety in mind will meet regulatory standards sooner and get into growers’ hands faster.

“Just as the scientific community tackled COVID-19 with a toolkit of treatments, vaccines, and preventative measures, the ag industry can develop a set of safe, effective resources with which growers can rapidly respond to emerging threats.

“This is already happening: just as the Food & Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization (EUA) of COVID-19 vaccines, the Environmental Protection Agency has granted EUA to treat plant diseases like allowing chemical fungicides for use against coffee rust in Hawaii. Stopgap measures like these prevent existing problems from getting worse, but they can also force growers to use older, more toxic ingredients because there are no other options available.” It can become a vicious spiral, as that increasing toxicity adds a litany of additional challenges to human health. Heard also argues fiercely for greater transparency, nations cooperating in finding solutions and not hiding their severest problems.

“During the pandemic, unclear communication from health authorities and misinformation led to widespread distrust of COVID-19 vaccines. As a result, the U.S. is still struggling to contain the virus even though vaccines are available to almost everyone.

“The agricultural industry has faced similar challenges. Its lack of transparency with consumers about concepts like organic farming and GMOs have led to misunderstanding and distrust with serious consequences. Some organic farms are causing more environmental harm than good, and the backlash against GMOs has undermined progress toward more resilient crops.

“Rebuilding consumers’ confidence in its innovations requires the ag industry to trust that the public can handle the facts. That means sharing more information on the safety and environmental impacts of its practices than regulators require.” Heard.  The “one true thing” in this arena is not “if” but “when” and “how much.” Waiting and not engendering global cooperation just might kill hundreds of millions of people… and more than a little dependent plant and animal wildlife along the way. 

I’m Peter Dekom, and the threats to plant life, especially to agriculture, are here now and getting worse, so we can simply suffer and react or begin to anticipate and prepare.