Based on 2018 projections by The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), up to 17.7 million tonnes of maize are lost annually due to FAW alone – representing enough to feed tens of millions of people and an average economic loss of $4.6 billion USD. These losses hit smallholder maize farmers most directly, as the majority on average farm less than 1 hectare, relying on the crop to stave off hunger and poverty. The invaders are capable of crop destruction that can lower yields by more than 50%, drastically impacting farmer’s livelihoods.
More than 300 million Africans depend on maize as their main food crop.įall armyworm’s hunger for maize not only causes significant losses to farmers, but also poses a serious threat to food security. Maize is an important staple for more than 1.2 billion people in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, and it is the most important cereal crop in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for over 30% of their people’s caloric intake. The voracious invaders feed in large numbers on the leaves and stems of more than 350 plant species, including staple crops such as maize, cotton, rice, and sorghum, with maize being the preferred host. The insect is among the most destructive transboundary pests. The outlook is dire: fall army worm comes with serious consequences.Ī More Than 50% Potential Yield Loss Drastically Impacting Farmers’ Livelihoods To date, fall armyworm has spread to over 70 countries. During the first half of 2021, it was confirmed in New Caledonia and the Canary Islands of Spain in Europe. As of May 2020, it reached Mauritania, Timor-Leste and United Arab Emirates. In January 2020 it was detected in Australia in far north Queensland, and in a mere three months was considered established in the country. Indigenous to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, fall armyworm in maize ( Spodoptera frugiperda) was first reported in 2016, followed by rapid spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and by 2018 began to spread like wildfire into the Indian subcontinent, China and Southeast Asia. And as if that wasn’t enough, a second – and equally devastating -transboundary and invasive pest continues to invade parts of the eastern hemisphere: fall armyworm (FAW). Last year, farmers in East Africa, Southwest Asia and areas of the Middle East battled their worst desert locust outbreak in decades.
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