Plant health

Latest stories

Digging through the past and planting seeds for the future

The CFIA's Centre for Plant Health will soon be home to a state-of-the-art scientific facility. Discover the fascinating century-old records and artifacts that volunteers unearthed as construction gets underway.

Outstanding in their field: meet Ashley Balchin and Renée Cloutier, CFIA plant breeders' rights examiners

Plant breeding helps boost new crop varieties, yields, tolerance to disease and nutritional value for the food we grow. Here’s how two CFIA experts support innovations that benefit shoppers, farmers and other countries.

Meet Ray Knight, CFIA ship inspector

Many people are surprised to learn that the CFIA inspects ships to stop the spread of invasive species. One thing is for shore: it’s an important job. Let me explain why.

Meet Tracy Lawrence, CFIA virology technician

If you’ve ever taken a bite of locally grown peaches, enjoyed a glass of Canadian wine, or gone apple picking—you’ve had a taste of my work! Learn how I sowed my passion for plant science into a career at the CFIA.

Do you have what it takes to be a superhero?

Not all superheroes wear capes. At the CFIA, we're powered by a brave team of heroes on a mission to keep you safe. Download their trading cards, exchange with your friends, and collect them all!

The 12 days of plant protection

Whether you’re shopping online, headed on a road trip or enjoying the frosty outdoors this holiday season, take note of these plant health tips from CFIA expert David Bailey.

A sustainable future rooted in healthy soil

Life on land depends on many things, like sun and water. But the unsung hero is soil. Let’s dig into how we can all help to protect this precious natural resource.

Riding the e-commerce wave: be aware of risks of some online purchases

The e-commerce trend is still going strong, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But before placing your next order, be aware of the rules that apply to food, plant and animal products.

You asked, we answer

In this podcast, we reach out to experts across the country to find your answers about travelling with food, alcohol labelling, pet food, chicken hatcheries, allergen recalls and more.

Meet Rositsa Dimitrova, CFIA plant health risk assessor

Did you know that the CFIA works to safeguard the health of Canada's plants? One of our experts shares how her passion for nature and study of insects led to working with the agency.

Report plant pests to help protect Canada's plant resources

The quicker a pest is detected and reported, the quicker we can act to address the risks of it establishing and spreading. Here are some species to look out for.

The CFIA: covering a lot of ground since 1997

The CFIA has touched Canadians' lives every single day for the last 25 years, whether you’re a traveller, farmer, rancher, gardener, pet owner or grocery shopper.

Keeping pace with new challenges and opportunities in trade

With leadership from the CFIA, Canada has been working to enhance an international agreement that supports the flow of food, animals and plants in today’s complex world.

Hemlock woolly what?

Have you seen what looks like cotton balls at the base of hemlock tree needles? They could be egg sacs of hemlock woolly adelgid, an insect that attacks and kills hemlock trees.