Climate change, globalisation of trade, changes in land use, and the intensification of agriculture are accelerating the emergence and spread of plant pests and diseases. These threats endanger not only agricultural productivity and forest ecosystems but also biodiversity, and long-term food security. In recent years, outbreaks of invasive plant pests have caused billions of euros in crop losses and forest degradation across Europe alone. Despite the growing urgency, existing plant health monitoring systems are often fragmented, lack interoperability, and are not well adapted for early detection, rapid response, or multi-actor collaboration. There is an urgent need for more integrated, flexible, and technology-driven strategies to effectively and sustainably address plant health challenges. The STELLA Horizon EU project addresses this challenge by developing an innovative, collaborative platform designed for surveillance and management of plant health risks. It targets a wide range of users, including public authorities, researchers, land managers, farmers, and other stakeholders, aiming to improve early warning and rapid response capabilities against harmful plant organisms. These include both regulated quarantine pests (QP) and non-quarantine pests (RNQP), which threaten crop yields, ecosystem stability, and economic sustainability. STELLA’s primary objective is to strengthen national and transnational capacities by creating an integrated Plant Surveillance System (STELLA PSS). This system will combine state-of-the-art technologies such as remote sensing, in-situ sensors, mobile applications, artificial intelligence, and pest prediction models to support real-time data collection, analysis, and coordinated action. To maximise its impact, STELLA will test and validate its system in diverse real-world environments, such as orchards, vineyards, and forested landscapes, covering a wide range of crops, ecosystems, and pest scenarios. The project is designed to contribute directly to several key EU priorities, including the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, the EU Biodiversity Strategy, and the Plant Health Law. Overall, STELLA will deliver practical tools, policy recommendations, and validated methodologies that can be adopted beyond the project’s lifetime, contributing to long-term plant health resilience.
