IPPC Secretariat. 2023. E-commerce – A guide to managing the pest risk posed by goods ordered online and distributed through postal and courier pathways. Rome, FAO on behalf of the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc8209en

This guide highlights some of the key challenges that national plant protection organizations (NPPOs) face in managing the pest risk associated with e-commerce trade, where small parcels containing plants, plant products and other regulated articles are ordered online and distributed internationally through postal and courier pathways. It provides practical guidance for improving cooperation and collaboration with key stakeholders involved in e-commerce supply chains, including national customs administrations, postal operators, courier services, e-commerce platforms and marketplaces, and the general public. The guide also highlights  pre-border and border activities, including risk-based phytosanitary inspection, that NPPOs may use to help mitigate pest risk on postal and courier pathways, how to identify and respond to non-compliance, and the importance of monitoring regulated articles moving on postal and courier pathways in order to respond to new technologies and trends. Case studies are provided from around the world, highlighting some of the risks to plant health associated with e-commerce trade and the innovative approaches being taken by NPPOs to address these risks