A claim for plant health as a key component of the one health concept

The concept of health has historically been more closely linked to the well-being of humans than to that of animals, plants or the environment. In contrast, the One Health concept, which emerged in recent decades, generally recognizes the interdependence of only three of its four components: humans, wild and domestic animals, and the environment, but plants have often been overlooked in this analysis. Because plant health has been undervalued within the One Health framework, we emphasize in this review its importance in ensuring food security and safety, two key issues in human and animal health, as highlighted in several of the United Nations SDG. Food production, marketing and consumption use a significant portion of the environment's natural resources, and plant health technology must ensure their sustainable use while safeguarding environmental health. We summarize the relationships between the four components of One Health, highlighting the development of antimicrobial resistance in human, animal and plant pathogens, and the resistance to plant protection products among plant pests, diseases and weeds. Three external drivers significantly influence plant health and One Health in the last decades: climate change, invasive alien species, and the international armed conflicts. The main reported effects of climate change on plant health include the shifts in distribution area, biology and life cycles of harmful organisms as well as plant-pest interactions. Another major factor compromising the sustainability of current plant health technology is the introduction and establishment of alien organisms affecting vegetables resulting from the increasing globalization of food trade, human labour and tourism.These challenges underscore the need to approach One Health at broader scales, beyond individual organisms or populations, as well as intensifying studies on plant health, to effectively address holistically the complex, interconnected risks affecting global health.

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Publication Details

Journal
One Health
Published
2025-12-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101304
Primary Topic
Zoonotic diseases and public health
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

A claim for plant health as a key component of the one health concept

R. Albajes, Marı́a M. López, Rafael M. Jiménez-Dı́az
One Health
Zoonotic diseases and public health
article

A claim for plant health as a key component of the one health concept

R. Albajes, Marı́a M. López, Rafael M. Jiménez-Dı́az
article en

Abstract

The concept of health has historically been more closely linked to the well-being of humans than to that of animals, plants or the environment. In contrast, the One Health concept, which emerged in recent decades, generally recognizes the interdependence of only three of its four components: humans, wild and domestic animals, and the environment, but plants have often been overlooked in this analysis. Because plant health has been undervalued within the One Health framework, we emphasize in this review its importance in ensuring food security and safety, two key issues in human and animal health, as highlighted in several of the United Nations SDG. Food production, marketing and consumption use a significant portion of the environment's natural resources, and plant health technology must ensure their sustainable use while safeguarding environmental health. We summarize the relationships between the four components of One Health, highlighting the development of antimicrobial resistance in human, animal and plant pathogens, and the resistance to plant protection products among plant pests, diseases and weeds. Three external drivers significantly influence plant health and One Health in the last decades: climate change, invasive alien species, and the international armed conflicts. The main reported effects of climate change on plant health include the shifts in distribution area, biology and life cycles of harmful organisms as well as plant-pest interactions. Another major factor compromising the sustainability of current plant health technology is the introduction and establishment of alien organisms affecting vegetables resulting from the increasing globalization of food trade, human labour and tourism.These challenges underscore the need to approach One Health at broader scales, beyond individual organisms or populations, as well as intensifying studies on plant health, to effectively address holistically the complex, interconnected risks affecting global health.

One HealthVol. 22
Universitat de Lleida (ES), Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (ES), University of Córdoba (ES)
Openalex Percentile: Top 48%
Zoonotic diseases and public health
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