The Pollination Deficit Towards supply chain resilience in the face of pollinator decline

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1 The Pollination Deficit Towards supply chain resilience in the face of pollinator decline Laura Fox Senior Programme Manager, Agricultural Landscapes

2 Why be concerned about pollinators? Pollination is the movement of pollen within or between flowers = fertilization = fruit and seed

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4 A pollination deficit is emerging Catch per day (grams of insects) in Malaise traps deployed at 63 sites in Germany between 1989 and Hallmann, CA, Goulson, D & de Kroon, H More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas. PlosONE 12: e

5 Drivers of pollinator decline Multiple threats are acting to drive wild pollinator decline Pathogens & pests Land use change Intensive agriculture Such threats are taking place globally These interact in complex ways with unknown consequences for pollinator health Invasive species Climate change Pollinators GM crops Harmful pesticide use

6 Analysing pollinator risk All 15 high value, pollinatordependent crops assessed had some vulnerability to pollinator decline For 10 of these, 40% yield would be lost, in the absence of pollination Five of the fifteen crops depend largely or entirely on wild, free-living pollinators Over half of the crops assessed (eight of the 15) are mainly produced in a small number of countries

7 Evidence of pollination deficit, general decline and particular pollinator species declining in China, where >10% of world s apples are produced (3) Catalina Angel Apple Great dependence on pollination (2) Honey bees very widely used; some evidence they are not the most effective pollinators and colonies of Apis cerana declining in China (1) Vulnerability: Medium

8 Brazil nut Cavalcante Some evidence of general wild bee declines in Brazil (1-3) Pollination is essential (3) Cannot be pollinated by managed honey bees (3) Only produced in 4 countries (3) Vulnerability: High Bob Peterson CIFOR

9 What can be done to conserve pollinators Risks Responses Land use change Provide foraging and nesting resources: o Manage or restore native habitat patches o Establish protected areas o Increase habitat heterogeneity Support practices based on Indigenous and Local Knowledge Intensive agriculture Create patches of flower rich habitat Support organic farming Strengthen existing diversified farming systems Reward farmers for good practices Pesticides Raise standards of risk assessment and regulation of pesticide use Reduce usage Seek alternative forms of pest control Capacity building practitioners and technology Genetically modified crops Raise the standard of risk assessment for approval of GM crops Quantify the indirect, and sublethal, effects of GM crops on pollinators Pathogens and pests Improve managed bee husbandry Improve regulation Climate change Improve connectivity and create refuges? Ensure crop diversity? Invasive species Policies and practices to prevent new invasions

10 What can be done Credit: Google Street View Credit: Chris Makin

11 Nine certification standards reviewed Requirements that would benefit pollinators e.g. to create ecological corridors or wildlife friendly field margins Only three have explicit criteria on pollination There may be scope to improve the management of pollinators within standards: Make IPM plans a compulsory time bound requirement Include pollinator habitat management as a criteria Develop a conservation plan for pollinator Include criteria on bee keeping Certification key means of action

12 Thank you Partnership for Pollinators Guy Smith/FFI