The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in collaboration with AENOR Conocimiento SLU, has published the event report of the 15th webinar on Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm), held as part of a series of 20 webinars on EU priority pests. The report, published on 21 July 2026, details the webinar's content, which provided an overview of the pest's characteristics and included a practical simulation using the RiPEST tool. The recording is available on EFSA's YouTube channel and the EU Academy platform.
The webinar is the twelfth in a round of 20 on EU priority pests, promoted by EFSA under a framework contract for technical and scientific support to training courses on plant pest surveillance, aimed at improving plant health crisis preparedness. The fall armyworm is a destructive agricultural pest that poses a significant threat to crops such as maize, rice, and sugarcane, and its spread into Europe has been a growing concern. The webinar series builds on EFSA's earlier pest categorisation of Spodoptera frugiperda, published in the EFSA Journal, and a pest survey card also produced by EFSA. These resources are designed to help EU member states and plant health authorities enhance surveillance and early detection capabilities.
The training initiative targets national plant protection organisations, inspectors, and other stakeholders involved in plant health surveillance. By providing practical simulation tools and expert knowledge, EFSA aims to strengthen preparedness against potential outbreaks. The webinar series covers a range of priority pests, including fruit flies and false codling moth, as part of a coordinated EU effort to safeguard agricultural production and trade. The report does not indicate any new regulatory measures or changes in pest status, but serves as a capacity-building resource for EU member states.