En af de syv plager var græshopperne. De er stadig en trussel, og derfor opruster FAO krigen imod dem. Faktisk er 10 lande truet af græshoppernes angreb,
FAO will assist ten countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus to save up to 25 million hectares of cultivated farmland from a locust crisis.
Locusts (græshopper) are a serious threat for agriculture, food security and livelihoods in both regions including adjacent areas of northern Afghanistan and the southern Russian Federation.
A five-year programme to develop national capacities and launch regional cooperation is about to start thanks to assistance from the United States of America. Support from other donors is expected soon.
10 LANDE I RISIKOZONEN
In all, ten countries are at risk: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. There are three locust pests in the region — Italian, Moroccan and Migratory locusts — which can attack all kinds of crops and plants.
– As borders are situated across the locust traditional habitats and breeding areas, when a country is facing locust infestations, it is more than likely that at least one neighboring country faces a similar situation, said Annie Monard, FAO Locust Officer.
These migrant pests, able to fly up to 100 kilometres a day, are extremely opportunistic, adapting quickly to changing weather patterns, including those associated with climate change.
Central Asian and Caucasian countries made official requests to FAO for assistance in curbing locust outbreaks and related impact on food security and in developing transborder cooperation.
