Towards a systems approach for mitigating fruit fly risk in export fruit commodities from Africa

The risk of quarantine fruit fly pests in traded fruit commodities can be mitigated using a systems approach that incorporates at least two independent measures. The development, verification and implementation of a fruit fly systems approach are guided by the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 35. This review assesses the status of a systems approach in mitigating fruit fly risks from African fruit commodities and identifies steps to enhance its use. Based on the publicly available information, the use of a fruit fly systems approach for fruits produced in Africa is limited. Current protocols primarily minimize fruit fly risks through pest exclusion measures. The use of a fruit fly systems approach can be expanded through the development of alternative control measures. Areas of low fruit fly prevalence could be developed to minimize fruit fly pest exposure to fruits. Modified postharvest treatments with efficacy below Probit 9 level could be developed for integration in a fruit fly systems approach. Also, further research is required to quantify the vulnerability of commercially produced host fruits for fruit fly pests. Once a new fruit fly systems approach is developed, the efficacy of the treatment will need to be demonstrated.