Invasive species cost African Economy $3.66 trillion a year.

23 May 2021.

Introduction:

Recent study shows that, Invasive species are costing African agriculture about $3.66 trillion per year. It equals to 1.5 times of the combined gross domestic product of all African countries.

Highlights:

• Researchers from Britain, Ghana, Kenya and Switzerland were estimating the annual economic hit because of invasive species to African agriculture.
• They studied open source and peer-reviewed literature on species which were not native to African continent.
• Researchers surveyed about 1,000 stakeholders including farmers, researchers and government officials regarding the financial implications of invasive species.
• Stakeholders were asked to estimate crop losses because of invasive alien species.
• Non-native species of weed, insect or worm can have catastrophic effects on farming as they are capable of reducing the yields of staple crops.
• The researchers also found that, there was variation among countries.
• Worst affected nation was Nigeria with the estimate loses of around $1 trillion annually due to invasive species.
• While, Democratic Republic of Congo incur the loss of $317 billion per year.
• It was found that, a moth known as Phthorimaea absoluta caused most of the losses.
• This moth affects tomato plants and incur an estimated cost of $11.4 billion each year.
• Other insects inflict about $21.5 billion worth of crop losses per year to mango, maize, cassava and citrus crops.

Invasive species:

·        It is an introduced organism which negatively affects the new environment.  

·        Their spread can have beneficial aspects but they can adversely affect invaded habitats and bioregions.

·        They cause ecological, environmental or economic damage.

·        They are become serious economic, social, and environmental threat in the 21^st century. kudzu vine, English ivy, Andean pampas grass, Japanese knotweed etc are some of the examples of invasive plant species.