Nuclear technology is solving some of humanity's most pressing agricultural and public health challenges, from banana wilt to dengue fever, through techniques that have nothing to do with power generation. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is leading a global effort to deploy nuclear science and radiation-based methods to protect food supplies, control disease-carrying insects, and strengthen crop resilience in the face of climate change and global trade pressures.

What Agricultural Threats Is Nuclear Science Addressing Right Now?

Several devastating crop diseases are spreading rapidly across continents, threatening global food security. The IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are working with countries in South America to combat Fusarium wilt, also known as Panama wilt, a lethal banana disease that threatens supplies of the Cavendish banana, the world's most popular export variety. The organization is using irradiation and nuclear-derived techniques to combat, manage, and prevent the spread of the disease in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Beyond bananas, the IAEA has launched a five-year coordinated research project to strengthen plant health preparedness using nuclear and related technologies. The initiative targets wheat blast, potato late blight, potato bacterial wilt, and cassava witches broom disease, all of which can spread quickly across large areas of land, leading to severe yield losses in key crops for food security. Global trade and climate change have increased the likelihood of rapid, transboundary spread of these pathogens.

How Are Nuclear Techniques Being Used to Control Agricultural Pests?

One of the most innovative applications involves the sterile insect technique (SIT), a nuclear-based method sometimes described by the IAEA as "birth control for pests." This approach uses radiation to sterilize insects, preventing them from reproducing and effectively controlling pest populations without chemical pesticides. Mexico recently demonstrated the success of this method by eradicating the Mediterranean fruit fly, commonly known as the medfly, in the state of Colima using SIT in cooperation with the IAEA and FAO. The technique protects fruit and vegetable crops, farmers' livelihoods, and the country's economy.

Cuba is applying similar nuclear techniques to tackle dengue, a viral, mosquito-borne disease that poses a significant public health threat. The country's plan to use the sterile insect technique relies on expertise and technology from the IAEA. While the technique is not new, having been used to control different insect-vector diseases in diverse regions around the world, its application in Cuba demonstrates the growing recognition of nuclear science as a tool for disease prevention.

Ways Nuclear Science Supports Global Health and Food Safety

• Disease Detection and Authentication: The IAEA is developing multiple methods to rapidly screen and authenticate the origin of foods like extra virgin olive oil, addressing a growing black market in mislabeled products. According to a 2022 European Commission report, olive oil is one of the most mislabeled food products in Europe, a problem exacerbated by recent heat waves and droughts affecting yields in regions that produce 60 percent of all olive oils globally.
• Zoonotic Disease Monitoring: The IAEA convened a workshop to explore how nuclear techniques backed by the agency's Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative could be used to avoid outbreaks of monkeypox and Lassa fever. The meeting was organized to assist countries in using nuclear and related techniques to detect, mitigate, and understand the behavior of these viruses.
• Environmental Contamination Research: The IAEA, in cooperation with Argentina, launched a scientific research expedition to study microplastics in Antarctica as part of an effort to combat widespread microplastic pollution, demonstrating how nuclear science extends to environmental monitoring in the planet's most remote areas.

The IAEA's director general emphasized the importance of rapid response to emerging threats. "It is important that we are reacting quickly, as things happen. I am happy that concrete work is being carried out on something before it becomes a very difficult problem," stated Rafael Mariano Grossi as he opened a one-day summit on zoonotic disease control.

What Infrastructure Is Being Built to Support Nuclear Applications?

The IAEA is investing in new research facilities to expand its nuclear applications work. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the International Atomic Energy Agency's laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, marking the start of construction on a nuclear applications building that will host three state-of-the-art laboratories: Plant Breeding and Genetics, Terrestrial Environment and Radiochemistry, and Nuclear Science and Instrumentation. This construction represents the second phase of the Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories initiative, known as ReNuAL2, and coincides with the 60th anniversary of the nuclear applications laboratories at Seibersdorf.

In the United States, Penn State's Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC) is advancing nuclear research capabilities by installing a small angle neutron scattering (SANS) device, becoming the first and only U.S. university research reactor to host this capability. The $9.8 million device, donated by Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin in Germany, will help researchers determine the structure of organic materials such as polymers, complex fluids, and biomolecules, expanding the toolkit available for nuclear science applications.

These developments underscore a broader shift in how nuclear technology is being perceived and deployed globally. Rather than focusing exclusively on energy production, governments and international organizations are recognizing nuclear science as a versatile tool for addressing interconnected challenges in agriculture, public health, and environmental monitoring. As climate change accelerates the spread of crop diseases and pest-borne illnesses, these nuclear-based solutions offer scalable, proven methods to protect food supplies and human health across borders.