Anthony and Nature

Lorenzo Brunazzo

The fumes from the fires of the Amazon forest have not yet dissipated into the air - threatening the existence of the largest green lung on the planet and the richest deposit of biodiversity - and world public opinion is being urged to reflect on a major ecological and economic issue: plant disease. Will good intentions stem bad deeds? The United Nations has proclaimed 2020 the International Year of Plant Health, pointing out that 20 to 40% of cereal production is destroyed every year by botanical diseases that cause damage estimated at around 220 billion dollars, in addition to the 70 billion caused by insects. The global spread of destructive pests - such as the Oriental fruit fly - causes environmental and economic damage, to which the modern world is particularly sensitive. But it is also right to point out that the empathy of mankind, which is a gift and a fundamental resource, should extend to the plant world, although the latter is so far from our parameters of identification. A living being that does not move and does not emit sounds is hardly recognized in its vital component. Yet every now and then I still shelter my spirit in…