المنتدى العالمي المعني بالأمن الغذائي والتغذية

The need to promote pollinator insects becomes more critical as reductions in biodiversity occur. The more the world moves towards mono-cropping, the more pollinators will be lost. Fortunately, there is ecological farming to safeguard pollinators.

My contribution below is based on my two experiences; rural and urban

In my rural home in Kenya, households have realized that their indigenous crops, especially vegetables are not as productive as before, lackily enough social networks have enabled them to share information on the need to increase the variety of crops on farms. The new trend is that once households have extra financial resources, they pull down live fences and put up fences of posts and wire or concrete. Households need more encouragement to plant live fences with flowering plants within homes - can be done together with the wire or concrete fence. 

One way to communicate the pollinator message effectively is to link the solution to challenges rural people are faced with. For example, households with sickly livestock or poultry or crops be encouraged to plant certain pollinator friendly plants as a way to prevent the frequent occurence of some ailments.

In my urban setting, the practice of "beautiful" farms, yards, roadways and more has led to loss of biodiversity. But nature has it's way of crying out; large and small scale farmers, especially honey producers are feeling the effect of loss of diversity/pollinators, resulting in ongoing aggressive media campaigns on the need to protect and promote pollinator insects. The "cry" on loss of pollinators seems to have been heard as government (national, provincial, municipal) has formulated policies in support of biodiversity conservation, hence pollinators:  

Our city authority has devised ways to encourage households to grow green lawns and avoid use of chemical sprays as the way to manage unwanted plants/weeds. The message is for people to uproot undesirable growths, rather than spray them.

Neighbourhoods are known to hold beautification competitions mainly based on the planting of flowers whenever weather conditions allow. In the process, many front and backyards are filled with bright flowers; habitat for pollinator insects. The city has put together guidelines for residents who want to "go green" - http://www.edmonton.ca/residential_neighbourhoods/gardens-lawns-trees.a…  

Residents who have decided to "go green" can get a city lawn on their front yard with a message that they have gone green/bagless in tending to their yard. The trend is picking up, for once one neighbour goes green with the lawn sign, a nearby neighbour who sprays to "control weeds" will see the sign and hopefully rethink their practice.

Urban gardening is also used to promote pollinator insects. The current EatLocal movements in my city have seen increases in urban farming (see photos of my summer harvest on my Google+ account). Cities are comprised of multicultural groups and as more and more city dwellers buy into the idea to grow their food, most will obviously plant ethnocultural foods - indigenous vegetables = increased biodiversity = attract variety of insects = pollinators. Community gardens seem to have increased as more city dweller are in search of land to farm. To support urban farming activities, in 2016 the City formulated a policy to support farming activities http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/urban_planning_and_design/urban-…  There are numerous on-going activities in support of pollinator insects.

Based on observations from my two homes in rural and city, I am tempted to conclude that the message on sustainability, eat local, protect pollinators seems to have taken a faster and positive effect in my urban city compared to my rural home. In the rural area, business messages advertising intensive use of farming chemicals still overwhelms messages on the need to protect and promote pollinators through ecological farming. Based on this observation, my suggestion is the need for more emphasis of the pollinator message in rural areas; the same places where households rely on pollinators to sustain a land-based livelihood.

Regards to my readers.

Eileen

Thank you all for the very interesting responses so far. It seems that issues affecting pollinators is reasonably well understood – although more research is still needed on the precise interactions between human activities and pollinators.

Access to information and awareness-raising is a common theme. Although some countries have a lot of information available to the public and country pollinator strategies (such as the UK), many countries do not. More accessible information needs to be made available to the public on how they can help pollinators at a local level. Training should also be given to agricultural workers – and included in extension services and college course curriculum.

In terms of agriculture, many suggestions were made to create habitats, buffer zones, field margins and so on for pollinator species. This in addition to planting flowering plants suitable for the local populations of insects. Mithare Prasad from India provides a succinct summary of solutions, in particular in relation to honey bees.

Urban planning is also an area of concern – where green areas and landscaping need to be pollinator friendly. Urban agriculture is practiced by 800 million people worldwide – so is not an insignificant area that needs to be proactive.

The need for policies that promote pollinator friendly agriculture and practices was also highlighted by several respondents. Lal Manavado from Norway provides a nice summary of the issues and suggests that it is possible to create a common strategy that can be adapted to local conditions.

We look forward to reading more of your comments in the coming few days.

English translation below

Aplicando la agroforestería para la producción de alimentos se asegura la populación de los polinizadores (tanto las abejas como todos los otros insectos que polinizan). Esto es el resultado obtenido en el Predio Experimental de la Agroforestería Andina MOLLESNEJTA, ubicado en el Valle de Cochabamba/Bolivia.

Mientras que en la región de Aiquile los productores de Chirimoya deben polinizar las flores de sus árboles de Chirimoya (Annona cherimola) a mano, en el predio MOLLESNEJTA se produce esta fruta por polinización de insectos silvestres (no es la abeja Apis mellifera).

En la publicación:

http://www.proagro-bolivia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Libro_Sistemas-Agroforestales_2014.pdf

son descritos varios ejemplos de producción en sistemas agroforestales en la región semiárida del Depto Cochabamba en Bolivia. El predio MOLLESNEJTA siempre esta recibiendo a todos los interesados en el ámbito agroforestal. Adjunto le mando una hoja de información.

Atentamente,

Dra. Noemi Stadler-Kaulich

Using agroforestry for food production protects pollinators (both bees and all other pollinating insects). This has been the case in the Experimental Farm of the MOLLESNEJTA Andean Agroforestry located in the Cochabamba Valley, Bolivia.

While in the Aiquile region the cherimoya producers must pollinate the flowers of their Cherimoya trees (Annona cherimoya) by hand, in the MOLLESNEJTA farm this fruit is produced through the pollination of wild insects (not the Apis mellifera bee).

In the following publication:

http://www.proagro-bolivia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Libro_Sistemas-Agroforestales_2014.pdf

several examples of agroforestry production in the semiarid region of the Cochabamba Department in Bolivia are described. The MOLLESNEJTA farm always welcomes everyone who is interested in the agro-forestry sector. Kindly find attached an information sheet.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Noemi Stadler-Kaulich

--

Noemi Stadler-Kaulich

    MOLLESNEJTA

Producir en armonia con la Madre Tierra

Landwirtschaft in Einklang mit der Natur

http://mollesnejta.wordpress.com

There is a need for a simply written one or two page note - on importance of pollination, value of pollinators, present-day-felt reduction in their numbers, AND, how common people can help promote pollinators.

Reduced bearing of vegetables/ fruits in the kitchen garden are becoming obvious to common people. HOW COMMON PEOPLE CAN HELP raise awareness like telling the importance of diverse and the traditional/local flowers/cultivars can help; how reduced use of chemicals can help - should be highlighted in those two pages.

Detailed treatises for farmers or for policy are important - but those two pages are also important for the common people like us - to talk in our casual meets, common discussion groups because pollinators are so important!

-Sadana

Protecting pollinators like bees is not possible without involving various stakeholders in the mission. In the following example in south India, a women enterpreneur is training unemployed women to setup their bee farms so that the production of honey will provide income to them. The story of her success is shared in the following link. 

http://www.thebetterindia.com/65339/josephine-selvaraj-vibis-natural-be…

The Swat valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan is well known for its peach orchards. However, the peach plants introduced new pathogens and insects to the area. To restrain them the farmers using up to 20 sprays of toxic chemicals each year.

As a result, the once dominant insect of the area, the honeybee no longer exists there. The honey of the Swat valley that was sold at twice the price of regular honey is not available anymore.

We definitely need protection of the pollinator, the honeybee.

Thanks to FAO for their initiatives for the protection of pollinators.

Dr. Amanullah

On Preservation and Increasing the Populations of Pollinators

The discussion note on the subject provides an excellent, inclusive framework on which we may formulate a holistic strategy to preserve the bio-diversity among the pollinators, and to increase their populations.

Even though the composition of plant-pollinator  networks may show a considerable variation even within a comparatively small area,  the interrelationship among plants and pollinators  in different networks seems to be remarkably similar.

This is fortunate, because it would enable us to develop a common generic strategy, which may be easily fleshed out to suit the local implementation. I will first take up what might cause the problem, and then will go on to consider how it may be resolved, provided that the requisite political will obtains.

Other things being equal, the decline in pollinator populations arises from any one or more of the following causes:

1.  A critical reduction of either the food supply of the adult species, or its larval state for such a period of time, as a consequence of which it may be difficult to restore the previous population of a pollinator found in an area.

2.  Introduction of toxic substances or food items into a pollinator’s habitat.

3.  Increasing the exposure of a pollinator to its natural predators and/or pathogens.

4.  Adverse climatic changes that may cause death.

Now, let us look at the human activities that seems to have brought about the four causes of population decline among pollinators. Critical food shortage may be directly or indirectly due to environmental degradation  that reduces the number of types of plant species  and/or their populations beyond the critical level necessary for the pollinators in the local plant-pollinator network to be sustained. First of these is a qualitative decline while the other is quantitative.

These two changes may be brought about by any one or more of the activities listed below:

I.      Land clearance representing removal of natural vegetation from an area  by mechanical means including the drainage of marshlands and water meadows for agriculture, building sites, roads and highways, and uncontrolled exploitation of forests etc., in a manner that makes it impossible for the local flora to re-establish itself.

II.    Environmental pollution that brings about the same results as I above due to the use of certain agro-chemicals, and irresponsible discharge of toxic substances into the ground, streams or air by industrial installations.

III.  Introduction of either too few types of food crops, or non-indigenous species that may seriously disrupt the inter-relationship among the members of the local plant-pollinator network. Please note that this may be caused by pollinators’ inability to recognise their flowers as a source of food due to their unfamiliarity.

IV.    Adverse local climatic change due to denudation of  plant cover, which renders it difficult for the local flora to re-establish itself.

As for the introduction of substances toxic  to the pollinators, in addition to 1-II above, some plant species are known to produce  nectar toxic to some pollinators (eg. some species of Linden to bees). Their introduction as foreign cultivars would be obviously detrimental to the local pollinators. Even more serious, since as early as 1999, pollen of a genetically modified variety of maize in the US has been  known to be toxic to some pollinators.

While land clearance may promote the proliferation of pollinator pathogens because it may eliminate those species that helps to keep those pathogen populations under natural control, the changes in local climate that accompanies it may prove favourable to the proliferation of some pathogens, especially unseasonable spells of wet  or humid weather.

Moreover, land clearance deprives pollinators of their protective plant cover, thereby making them more vulnerable to their natural predators, especially to the insectivorous birds.

I shall not suggest here how to resolve the deleterious effects of global warming on the pollinators.  The former is an indirect result of the horrendous harm we have done to our environment by removing the indigenous plant cover from vast areas for things listed above, and our hardly rational emission of various greenhouse gases. Its resolution calls for a concerted world-wide effort outside our present brief.

The question then, is undertaking what generic strategic steps may enable us to halt, and reverse the current decline in pollinator populations as rapidly as possible. Let us begin at the highest level and proceed down to earth, where real action is to take place.

The policies:

I.      The recurrent necessity here as well as elsewhere, is to ensure that  all policies formulated by an authority at any level are congruent with reference to each individual goal they are intended to serve. For instance, a ‘free trade’ policy to ‘improve’ the economy that permits the import/manufacture and sale of none-selective biocides is not congruent with either a policy to protect pollinators or one on improving bio-diversity. In some cases, much may be done to protect pollinators by striving  to achieve this objective.

II.    Formulation and implementation of the problem specific policy concerned with---

A.  Ascertaining the qualitative and quantitative extent of the problem

B.  Ascertaining the ways and means needed to accord the problem an appropriate priority, design the optimal feasible solution and procuring  the resources required for undertaking it.

III.  Ensuring its optimal implementation in a way that allows its modification/revision in time.

Strategies:

The strategies  one may resort to attain the policy objectives loosely outlined above require no lengthy description. I will not touch upon a strategy for achieving policy congruence because its resolution depends on political consensus whose achievement is beyond the scope of this discussion.

Identification of the qualitative and quantitative  aspects of the problem:

Some evidence of the decline in the types and numbers of pollinators is already available, even though it seems to be somewhat fragmentary. However, we have been engaged in activities that disrupt plant-pollinator networks for more than two centuries.

While the study of those networks is comparatively new, we already have reason to believe that regeneration of a critically insulted plant-pollinator network may be extremely difficult.

Moreover, there is much we do not know  both about already identified networks and other hitherto unidentified plant-pollinator networks in operation, which do not benefit food or ornamental plants, but which may provide some essential ecosystem service to one or more members of a useful plant-pollinator network. Hence, it is necessary to establish the status of plant-pollinator networks and their supporting networks, especially in the areas where they show a deterioration.

Once this has been established, we can design strategies needed to regenerate/expand plant-pollinator networks and their supporting networks with reference to the natural indigenous flora and fauna of a given area. The possibility of doing this, depends on our having a prior knowledge of what relevant plant and animal species have been  indigenous to an area, and to the sizes of their approximate individual populations.

I think this information is vital in formulating a holistic approach to protect, regenerate and sustain robust plant-pollinator networks, but  even in industrial countries it is hardly complete or accurate. Moreover, surveys undertaken now can only reveal what is left of such networks, and not what is constitutive of a robust sustainable ones. As such, they cannot provide a scientifically valid indication of what they should be constitutive of, if they are to be robust and sustainable.

Furthermore, there are large gaps in our knowledge of plant-pollinator networks and other bio-networks essential for the well-being of the former. The next area on which we need further information includes what long-term effect biocides currently in use including those of plant origin at high concentration, and the effect of nectar and pollen of non-indigenous cultivars and genetically modified ones on the plant-pollinator networks. Consequences of large-scale man-made mechanical topographical changes and industrial activity on them, are well known.

So, to provide ourselves with more complete information to enhance the general quality of our agriculture/environment policy---

1. Initiate and sustain the conduct of scientifically rigorous field surveys to ascertain the current composition and status of known plant-pollinator networks and to disseminate that data.

We may obtain a working idea of the ecology of many areas of the world from an environmentally more benign time through bibliographical research even though some important works may be out of print now. However, works of the great Alfred Russell Wallace, Alexander von Humboldt, H. W. Bates, etc. in reference libraries would amply repay one’s efforts to reconstruct good deal of the ecology of many areas where pollinators have become scarce.

1.  Much basic research remains to be done in the following four areas, which have a direct bearing on the robustness of plant-pollinator networks:

I.      Interaction among indigenous flora and  the introduced cultivars, and the short- and long-term effects on latter’s nectar and pollen on the local pollinators. When it involves genetically modified plants,  such interactions could have highly undesirable results.

II.    The optimal qualitative (in terms of species) mix of indigenous plants and pollinators that might be used to regenerate/improve the plant-pollinator network of an area.

III.  Research in applied science to identify optimal means of introducing indigenous flora and pollinators to affected areas with a view to re-establish robust and sustainable plant-pollinator networks. Here, it may be possible to use some useful local crops that may successfully substitute a lost or a threatened source of nectar and pollen.

IV.    Identify the crops, decorative plants and the indigenous flowering wild species whose flowering is sequential in a way that would ensure the local pollinators an adequate food supply during their adult stage. At the same time, it is important to ensure an adequate food supply to their larval stage.

2.  Action at the ground level:

I think it might be useful to place the types of action I envisage I three broad groups, viz., general, sector-specific and finally, more or less individual. Let us begin with the general:

I.      Dissemination of the available information to the general public on the seriousness of the situation and what everybody can and ought to do. As research described above becomes available, this information should be updated accordingly.

II.    Rural population and some NGO’s and other suitable volunteers may be of use in identifying the local flora and their flowering times, and pollinators.

The sector-specific action ought to include:

III.  Incorporating the importance of understanding the local plant-pollinator networks into school syllabi at a suitable degree of completeness. It is best to begin as early as possible and extend it to the schools of agriculture.

IV.    Policies to reward environment-friendly bulk transport of non-perishable items like grain, nuts and dried fruits, meats and vegetables, flour, etc., using inland waterways (canals and rivers), coastal shipping, and railways, while penalising their transport by lorries. This calls for an actually environment-friendly national transport policy to revamp the disused canals in many countries, and in nearly all countries to make an extended use of rail transport.

V.      An agriculture policy to promote small-scale farming and extensive planting of mixed crops in larger production units. Moreover, a more rigorous control of biocide use is essential, while a moratorium on the spread of genetically modified plants and animals seems to be urgent in view of our lack of real knowledge about their long-term interaction with other organisms including man.

VI.    Health sector could warn the public on the uncertainty about the results of long-term interaction  between genetically modified food items and the humans, so that a possible re-run of the tobacco controversy may be avoided.

VII.  Horticulture sector may contribute by promoting the cultivation of traditional wild-flowers as ornamental plants both in rural and urban settings.

VIII.     Local authorities, especially in some rural areas could plant traditional wild-flowers along the roads, commons, etc., as a part of ‘local beautification scheme’.

IX.    Local authorities and NGO’s could make a major contribution by engaging in small-scale re-forestation of the barren countryside with indigenous plant species, which is getting more and more important.

At the individual level, there is much we could do to ameliorate the problem both directly and indirectly. While those engaged in agriculture and forestry could make a greater contribution,  the others could do more than what they might think possible with a little effort.

X.      Halt the removal of hedges, and plant traditional hedge flora along the insides of barbed-wire and other types of fencing.

XI.    Land owners could plant small woods in areas of poor soil in their holdings choosing local small trees that do not prevent the appearance of under-growth. When suitable, nut trees offers an excellent choice for this purpose.

XII.  Planting pest repellent herbs among crops and areas that separate different crop types. Some herb flowers are very attractive to the pollinators, eg. Basil and Dill flowers.

XIII.     Providing simple nesting sites to local pollinators using materials made of natural substances like old bricks and bits of masonry. For instance, a small stack of old bricks with 16 cm holes drilled in some of them would provide an ideal nest for  several species of solitary bees. A few early blossoming wild flowers may be planted around such a stack to provide the newly-emerged bees a source of food until they are strong enough to range widely. Here, I deprecate the use of plastic nesting materials, because how plastic polymers and the secretions of pollinators may react, and what effects the products of such reactions may have on the developing larvae are unknown.

XIV.  Those who have fences around their properties could substitute or supplement those with flowering fences. Here, it is important to use indigenous plants, and preferably those flower at different times of the year.

XV.    Halting the use of biocides on lawns and other formal home gardens.

XVI.  Introducing local wild flowers and flowering bushes and shrubs to improve the appearance of the environs of schools, and other public buildings when the space permits.

Now, we come to the question of funding, for some of the suggestions  outlined here require a considerable outlay. I will leave this problem in the hands of those who are adept at wringing funds from decision-makers whose parsimony knows no bounds when funding involves non-glamorous projects, but hope this would be of some use.

Lal Manavado.

Pollinators are essential for the production of many crop species (>70% of the major food crops).

Their diversity and abundance has declined in agricultural landscapes over recent years. The reason for this are complex, but the lack of floral resources in modern farmed landscapes is a key driver.

Creating habitat in marginal and less productive areas on farm,  such as field margins, corners, and buffer zones addresses this problem by providing pollen, nectar and nesting places.

Planting rich habitat on uncropped areas alongside fields and waterways generate interconnected ecological corridors and creates multifunctional opportunities to contribute to a healthy and resilient landscape.

English translation below

Dans le cadre de la protection des pollinisateurs des cultures un vaste programme de sensibilisation est essentiel à l'endroit du public et des acteurs potentiels de l'agriculture. Sans pollinisation pas de récolte et sans récolte la pauvreté et la malnutrition vont s'installer durablement. Sur ce, des efforts doivent être faits pour accompagner les producteurs dans l'utilisation contrôlée des pesticides qui causent beaucoup de dommage à la faune pollinisatrice. Au niveau du sahel aussi des efforts doivent être consentis pour lutter contre la désertification qui ne milite pas en faveur de la présence de la végétation. L'agriculture biologique  est un élement qui réconcilie à cet effet la faune et la végétation au bénéfice de l'être humain. Les aménagements au niveau des villes doivent être repensés en intégrant le végétal dans cette dimension. Des paysages et des espaces verts ont leur import.

In relation to the protection of crop pollinators, a comprehensive awareness program aimed at the public and potential participants in agriculture is essential. Without pollinization there is no harvest and without harvests poverty and malnutrition will establish themselves for ever. So, efforts must be made to assist producers in the controlled use of pesticides that cause much harm to pollinating creatures. As for the Sahel, measures should also be agreed for the fight against desertification which is damaging to vegetation. Biological agriculture is an element that to this end reconciles fauna and vegetation for the benefit of the human being. Town layout arrangements must be thought through again by integrating them with green areas. Landscaping and green spaces are important.

English translation below

I am happy to participate in this forum which adds to the efforts and activities to promote awareness and the importance of pollination services and pollinators. I am currently working as a consultant in Chile on this field, and regarding the progress in my country as to the forum questions, I can say the following: 



1. Activities that promote pollinators: There is a program being implemented to increase the amount of honey flowers through the restoration and supplementation of floral diversity, with an emphasis on native forest species, developed by the Forestry Institute of Chile. The country has two Clean Production Agreements. The first aims to introduce sustainable practices for pesticide application in farms producing apples, almonds, kiwis, cherries and avocado that are demanding pollination services, in order to foster the activity of pollination agents. The second Agreement wants to incorporate in the horticultural sector in the central area, measures and clean production technologies that ensure food safety and increase production efficiency, preventing and reducing pollution. Regarding the next two questions, it seems to me that one answers the other. That is, to promote friendly practices is necessary to train the actors directly benefiting from pollinators services, inform the general public of the benefits of the services provided by pollinators and finally, seek state and private support for this promotion. 



1. What training, support or information do you need to take up pollinator-friendly practices? 



- Information: Answering questions like: What is pollination? Which are the pollinators? Why pollination is important?       How (no matter who you are or what you do) can we contribute to the conservation and protection of pollination           services?



- Training: We can say that it is necessary to train different actors from different levels on different practices, and that depending on this, formation is determined. There will be technical training for the development of practices in the field, theoretical training for approaching and proposing practices and awareness training to support their implementation.



- Support: It is of foremost importance to have the support of decision-makers, who ultimately showcase the issue in the scenarios where the adoption of practices is budgeted and the necessary resources are allocated. Even for those practices that do not require resources, because if the issue does not receive priority, adoption becomes more difficult. Of course, the support of the academia and researchers -who contribute to the approach and validation of practices- is also required.