Stekaholders call for action on pollinators

European Parliament event confirms alignment on key pollinator conservation issues

Key stakeholders discussed the importance of pollination and the role of pollinator species at a conference at the European Parliament today. Delegates agreed on the need to improve conditions for pollinators in Europe and acknowledged that more research is required to understand the drivers of pollinator population change and guide conservation measures.

Pollination is crucial for the sexual reproduction of flowering plants, and thus for agriculture. Nearly three quarters of the world’s crop species rely to some extent on insect pollination; pollinators contribute an estimated €153 billion to the global economy and account for approximately 9% of agricultural food production.

Representatives of NGOs, farmers and land owners, beekeepers, scientists, MEPs and the crop protection industry convened to discuss the role of pollinators, their importance to agriculture and practical measures for enhancing their populations.

Dr Friedhelm SCHMIDER, Director General of ECPA concluded, “Today we have seen broad consensus on issues of timely relevance to European agriculture and the preservation of not only pollinator species, but biodiversity in general. It is reassuring to see that we are all moving in the right direction; continued research into the drivers of pollinator population change will equip us with the knowledge to ensure sustainable agriculture and a European landscape that is beneficial to biodiversity and maintenance of ecosystem services. Collaboration among all stakeholders is vital to for success.”

The conference saw the official launch of the illustrated report ‘Pollinators and Agriculture’*, produced by the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) and the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO). This 46 page report examines the diversity and functions of insect pollinators, describes the value of pollination to agriculture, looks at the trends in pollinator population decline and explores options for reversing this trend.

Organised by ECPA and ELO, the conference was opened by Paolo DE CASTRO, MEP (S&D), Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural development. MEPs in attendance included Astrid LULLING (EPP), Boguslaw SONIK (EPP) and Csaba TABAJDI (S&D), in addition to Anne TELLER of the European Commission’s DG Environment and Marcin BIELINSKI-BILINSKI of the Polish Permanent Representation to the EU. Joined by a panel of pollinator experts, relevant EU policy was explored and complemented with insight on ecosystem services and honey bee health, and discussion of pollinators in the context of sustainable agriculture.

Pollinator specialist Simon POTTS (University of Reading, UK) explained that the honey bee is responsible for, at most, one third of insect pollination, dispelling the myth that the honey bee is the ‘most important pollinator’. “Most pollination services are provided by wild bees and other insects” said POTTS. Discussions reflected contemporary interest in the health of the honey bee, and beekeepers were present to describe the concerns of the beekeeping industry, as some European regions record some decline in Apis mellifera populations. The ‘usual suspects’** in honey bee population decline were discussed. “Of all the factors attributed to honey bee decline, the Varroa mite has the most pronounced impact” explained pollinator expert, Dr. Christoph KÜNAST. With reference to the honey bee’s status as a domesticated species, LULLING noted “funds are needed to promote education and training for non-professional beekeepers”.

ELO Secretary General, Thierry de L’ESCAILLE commented: “As the ELO has long promoted synergies between conservation and sustainable land use, the importance of pollinator services has been a key component in the prosperity of the European countryside. To this effect we aim to support pollination services through private initiatives via land managers that can achieve a balanced approach to social, environmental and economic considerations. EU policy makers should implement incentives and rewarding schemes for land managers to maintain both production and pollinators’ population in Europe. By addressing the role of pollinators in agriculture, we hope to ensure their viability in a prosperous European countryside well into the future.”

“Today’s conference confirmed the importance of pollinators and gave us a clear of picture of their condition” concluded CASTRO.