Responsible international travel includes being aware of risks and declaring agricultural items.
In February 2022, Customs and Border Protection documented 65,350 passenger inspections of undeclared agriculture items. The financial risk from pests brought into the country is estimated at $26 billion from invasive pests harming agricultural and natural resources.
Minnesota’s colleges and universities hosted nearly 16,000 international students and scholars in 2018, while more than 8,000 students participated in a study abroad experience. That’s why University of Minnesota Extension and Sea Grant joined a national team working to increase awareness of carrying potential pests into the country.
The program, called Don’t Pack a Pest, is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Customs and Border Protection. Universities join this initiative to bring awareness to international academic travelers about the risk of carrying unwanted pests into the country because academic travelers are a growing segment of all international travelers.
