Canadian Plant Health Information System

The Canadian Plant Health Information System (CPHIS) is an online collaborative platform to modernize how Canadian plant health stakeholders communicate, share information and reach evidence-based decisions on known or emerging threats.

Background

In 2017, the Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada was endorsed by Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture, recognizing an opportunity for Canada to improve collaboration on plant protection. The Strategy laid out common priorities and a path forward, including the following objectives:

• Objective 1: Canada has the necessary information and awareness needed to support forward-looking risk management and evidence-based decisions.
• Objective 2: Canada has a comprehensive, effective, and integrated system that prevents and proactively addresses plant and animal health risks.

In 2021, through championing an understanding of the plant health community needs and a review of available information systems, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and its partners recommended that a new IM/IT capability be created to leverage the past Canadian Food Safety Information Network (CFSIN) investment with a vision to change the way plant health information is shared. The implementation of a mechanism to readily share plant health information had been a longstanding challenge for plant health stakeholders. The creation of the CPHIS platform is intended to resolve that gap.

Pan-Canadian collaboration

The objective of CPHIS is to maintain a pan-Canadian integrated technical solution connecting federal, provincial, territorial, and local governments' plant health authorities, academic and research institutions, testing laboratories, and industry. CPHIS strengthens the ability of plant health authorities across the country to better anticipate, detect, collaborate, and respond to plant health risks by sharing relevant information. It was launched in 2024, using the infrastructure and many of the lessons learned from CFSIN which launched in 2020.

CPHIS is composed of the following features:

• Expertise Mapping: This space provides an inventory of Canadian plant health expertise and capacities, including laboratories, service providers, conservation authorities, botanical gardens, and other centres of plant health expertise. CPHIS users are able to access up-to-date information on location, testing capabilities, available expertise, and contact information.
• Integrated Data (to be released fall 2024): A database of Canadian plant health data, including laboratory diagnostic data and survey data. CPHIS users are able to access and contribute plant health data, based on a minimum viable data standard. Business intelligence tools are included to provide users with the ability to conduct analytics and produce reports. This feature is only accessible if your organization has signed an information sharing memorandum of understanding (MOU) or other arrangement with the CFIA.
• Collaboration: A secure online space where CPHIS users can post messages/hold discussions, and share and edit files.
• Environmental Scanning: An online application which enables the CFIA and partner organizations to analyze and predict emerging risks for plant health, by scanning sources of information from around the world.

Benefits for Canadians

CPHIS enables the collection, analysis, and sharing of information that is currently dispersed among different organizations across Canada. It will help the plant health community to predict, prepare for, and respond to emerging threats by enabling their sharing of accurate and complete information.

Better information on risks and projections will mean more informed decision-making for plant protection authorities across the country, which could potentially lead to safeguarding vital natural resources from pests, diseases, or other risks and prevent millions of dollars of economic impacts associated with infestations.

CPHIS membership

CPHIS is led by the CFIA and delivered in collaboration with Federal, Provincial and Territorial partners and other stakeholders.

CPHIS is accessible to the members of recognized organizations who have agreed to the terms of use and to information sharing arrangements. While CPHIS at launch will only be accessible to a selected group of provincial and federal authorities and multi-organizational recognized committees, membership will expand in phases as the CPHIS community develops with academic research and teaching members, industry associations, not-for-profit organizations, local governments and indigenous community representatives. CPHIS will grow and improve with the input and collaboration of its users.

Member benefits

Becoming a CPHIS user has several benefits, including:

• collaborating and sharing information on plant health topics with experts from several government, industry, research, and academic organizations across Canada in a secure online platform
• staying informed of potential plant health risks
• having access to an inventory of expertise to consult when needed or to help with capacity during unforeseen events
• being able to input and have access to data, intelligence, and information that provides a national picture of plant health risks and situation (requires agreement with your organization)

More information

For more information about CPHIS, including how to become a member, contact CFIA.CPHIS-SCISV.ACIA@inspection.gc.ca.