Multifaceted Educational Approaches to Battle an Invasive Pest – the Oriental Fruit Fly

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

One of the most destructive agricultural pests, the Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) was detected in large numbers in Miami-Dade County in August 2015. This pest had the potential to destroy Miami-Dade’s and Florida’s agriculture industry. Finding OFF triggered a mandatory eradication program and established a 99 square mile quarantine area requiring all growers and packers affected to sign a compliance agreement specifying harvesting and handling procedures for over 400 potential plant hosts. The quarantine rules were complicated, creating confusion and misunderstanding among growers and packers. In response to a need for research based education, rapid delivery of information and training, Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension Service (Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department) partnered with UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, USDA and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to help clientele understand and comply with eradication’s requirements. Multifaceted educational efforts included: workshops, updates to Extension’s website, newsletter articles, development of bilingual educational materials, Power Point presentations, office visits, phone, and e-mail consultations. Over 1,000 Extension stakeholders attended meetings and workshops. Multiagency partnerships, educational efforts and collaboration resulted in lifting of the quarantine and the eradication of OFF in February 2016, effectively saving Miami-Dade’s and Florida’s agriculture industry and the 2 million jobs it supports.