18th MPU congress
Plant Health and Cooperation for Mediterranean Food Security and Safety.
Dear Plant Health Community,
We are pleased to invite you to the 18th Congress of the Mediterranean Phytopathological Union (MPU), to be held in Cairo, Egypt, from 15 to 18 November 2027.
The Mediterranean region is facing rapidly evolving challenges to plant health, agricultural sustainability, food security, and food safety
driven by climate change, emerging pests and diseases, water scarcity, soil degradation, and increasing pressure on agricultural resources. Addressing these interconnected challenges requires stronger scientific cooperation, technological innovation, knowledge exchange, and coordinated regional action. The Congress also will provide a multidisciplinary scientific forum bringing together researchers, universities, research institutions, policymakers, agricultural stakeholders, industry representatives, and young scientists from Mediterranean countries and beyond. It will promote the exchange of knowledge and experience, foster new scientific partnerships, and facilitate the development of innovative and practical solutions for healthy, resilient, sustainable, and safe agri-food systems.
Congress Objectives:
- Addressing emerging threats to plant health, including pests, diseases, invasive species, and climate-related stresses.
- Strengthening the role of plant health as a cornerstone of food security and food safety.
- Promoting scientific, technological, and digital innovation in plant health and crop protection.
- Fostering regional and international research cooperation, knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and capacity building.
- Promoting evidence-based policies and coordinated regional responses to transboundary plant health and food safety challenges.
- Developing practical and scalable solutions supporting sustainable and resilient Mediterranean agri-food systems.
- Mediterranean Cooperation, Research and Capacity Building.
Main Scientific Topics
1. Plant Health and Emerging Agricultural Threats
2. Climate Change, Plant Health and Mediterranean Agriculture
3. Soil Health and Sustainable Crop Production
4. Food security and Safety as affected by Plant Diseases
5. Artificial intelligence and Precise Agriculture for Plant Health
6. Integrated Pest Management, Early Detection and Disease Forecasting
Young Scientists and Early-Career Researchers
The active participation of MSc and PhD students and early-career researchers is strongly encouraged. Reduced registration fees will be available to facilitate their participation, together with awards for outstanding oral and poster presentations, and an additional registration fee reduction will be offered to young scientists.
Scientific Contributions and Publication
- The official language of the Congress is English.
- Accepted abstracts of oral and poster presentations will be published in the MPU international, open-access journal Phytopathologia Mediterranea. The journal will also feature selected review and research papers arising from contributions presented at the Congress.
- Further information on the scientific programme, registration, abstract submission, important dates, and Congress activities will be provided in forthcoming announcements.
- While the dedicated Congress website is under development, preliminary information is available on the MPU website:
Mediterranean Phytopathological Union (MPU)
Join Us in Cairo
We invite the Mediterranean and international plant health community to join us in Cairo for this important scientific event. The Congress will provide an opportunity to exchange scientific expertise, establish new collaborations, strengthen Mediterranean cooperation, and contribute to solutions for the future of plant health, food security, and food safety. Beyond the scientific programme, participants will have the opportunity to experience the rich history, culture, and heritage of Egypt.
We look forward to welcoming you to Cairo
Congress Coordinator:
Prof. Dr. Salah M. Abdel-Momen