The team from the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, and the Latin America and the Caribbean Division, Department of Technical Cooperation, was presented with the prestigious IAEA Superior Achievement Award for its exceptional commitment, dedication, professional rigour and initiative. The team members worked side-by-side from 2015 to help the Dominican Republic eradicate a major agricultural pest, the Mediterranean fruit fly, using nuclear techniques.
The presence of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wied.) was officially reported in the Dominican Republic in March 2015. The pest had already spread to over 2000 km2 in the eastern part of the country, constituting a major outbreak. The outbreak was located in the Punta Cana region, a top tourist destination where agricultural production is non-existent. The production sites of horticultural commodities were more than 200 km away from the large outbreak. Nevertheless, trading partners immediately banned the export of most fruits and vegetables, causing a loss of US $40 million in the remaining nine months of 2015 and putting 30 000 jobs at risk.
