Clearly, world hunger is a complicated situation. However, there are several ways that plant pathologists may be able to help. After reviewing a number of different resources on food crisis and world hunger, I found very little information on the effects of plant pathogens and plant diseases on food security. In the cases where plant diseases were cited, virtually no information was provided on specific pathogens. On the other hand, there are many research papers in scientific journals citing devastating crop losses due to plant pathogens, such as the African cassava geminivirus and rust fungi.
History illustrates that plant diseases can have a significant effect on human society.
Plant pathologists can help identify disease problems and help disseminate information to both private and government organizations for use in education and in planning actions to reduce world hunger. Plant pathologists can also help maximize agricultural production by assisting in crop improvements, reducing input requirements, and through better assessment of disease problems. By combining knowledge and resources, plant pathologists can work together toward increasing food security and reducing world hunger.