Understanding the impact of plant-parasitic nematodes on global food security and trade in a changing world

Plant-parasitic nematodes remain a pervasive yet often hidden constraint on crop productivity, smallholder livelihoods, and market access. This proceedings integrates four vantage points. First, a sub-Saharan African perspective describes how intensification, reliance on informal seed systems, and limited diagnostics allow root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and potato cyst nematodes (PCN) to proliferate in vegetables, tubers, and perennials. Second, a global biogeographic analysis maps soil nematode abundance and trophic structure and demonstrates strong associations with soil organic carbon and temperature, allowing climate-informed risk anticipation. Third, a state-level case study from North Carolina details the response to Meloidogyne enterolobii through interior quarantine, commodity-aligned outreach, and a dedicated quarantine nursery that de-risks field research. Fourth, a South American regulatory perspective from Chile illustrates PCN regionalization and an emergency response to Aphelenchoides fragariae in strawberry, which balanced risk management and socio-economic realities. Cross-cutting priorities include climate-informed surveillance, high-throughput diagnostics, clean seed and nursery certification, and risk-proportionate quarantine aligned with trade. Recommendations for policymakers include coordinated monitoring, harmonized diagnostics, grower-centric extension, and enabling policy frameworks for integrated nematode management and trade resilience.