NPPOs are discovering the advantages of Systems Approach for a more robust and responsive management system. For importing country NPPOs, this provides the opportunity to collect data in situations with high uncertainty and even eliminate requirements over time, if the system is disproportionate to the actual risk. For exporting countries, Systems Approach may be applied to achieve equivalence when what was originally proposed as requirements by the importing country are not amenable to the exporting country situation. There are an increasing number of drivers for using an alternative to single measures to meet the appropriate level of phytosanitary protection of an importing country for trade or to manage challenging pathways.

Systems Approaches can be developed for situations where no single measure is available for the specific host/pest situation, or the application of a single measure is not feasible for the country seeking to export plant products, for example if a treatment facility is not available.

A Systems Approach may include a pest free area or other official control of the target pest if additional measures are needed to ensure delivery of clean products. It also may include a commodity treatment post-harvest. The difference is that with the combination of measures, the pest risk is already being managed before reaching point of a treatment so that the treatment itself may be adjusted to reduce unwanted effects on the plant product.

The current impetus is to increase understanding of Systems Approach and encourage its proper use more widely within the IPPC Community, helping countries prevent the introduction of invasive species and protecting crops and biodiversity, therefore ensuring safe trade of plants and plant products.