Pollinators, essential for social, economic, and ecological health, face threats like climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, pests and pathogens, diseases, invasive alien species and intensive agriculture and management practices (including increased pesticide use). To counter this, enhancing habitat diversity in agricultural and urban areas, promoting biological pest control and integrated pest management, and reducing pesticide use are crucial. National and international initiatives are key for protecting pollinators because they provide a coordinated and comprehensive approach to address the global challenges facing pollinators. These initiatives can harmonize efforts across borders, ensuring consistency in policies and actions. They enable the sharing of best practices, research, and resources, fostering collaboration among countries. Furthermore, such initiatives can raise awareness on a global scale, influencing public opinion and driving significant policy changes and conservation actions. By working together, countries can more effectively combat the threats to pollinators thus safeguarding the vital ecosystem services that pollinators provide.
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A call for resources mobilization
Every action, big or small, contributes to a larger impact. By mobilizing resources together, we can ensure that these tiny yet mighty creatures continue to thrive, securing our ecosystems and our future.
International initiatives
All over the world, numerous initiatives on pollinators are carried out by different actors. The goal of these plans is to promote actions to preserve managed and wild pollinators, and to encourage the development and the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices. These initiatives also include different activities for the preservation of the ecosystem services provided by pollinators.
- Building capacity related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP MEAs 3)
- EU Pollinators Initiative "A New Deal for Pollinators"
IPI - International Pollination Initiative
Pollinators underpin biodiversity, resilient ecosystems and global food security by enabling the reproduction of wild and cultivated plants. Recognizing their critical role and the growing pressures they face, the International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Pollinators (IPI) was established in 2000 under the Convention on Biological Diversity, following the São Paulo Declaration on Pollinators.
2025 is the 25th anniversary of the IPI, and over this period it has provided a global policy and technical framework to address pollinator decline through research, capacity development, monitoring and the promotion of pollinator-friendly practices. The updated Plan of Action 2018–2030 has further strengthened international cooperation and aligned efforts across sectors and regions.
FAO plays an active role in supporting the implementation of the IPI by assisting countries in integrating pollination services into agricultural planning, agroecological transition and biodiversity strategies. Through technical guidance, tools, knowledge products and field-based approaches, FAO helps translate global commitments into practical, context-specific action.
The adoption of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework created a renewed opportunity to harmonize objectives and accelerate implementation. This milestone invites partners and stakeholders to reflect on progress achieved and to reinforce collective efforts to conserve and sustainably use pollinators for present and future generations.
National initiatives
Different countries have developed several national strategies for pollinator conservation across the world. Examples of action plans have been implemented at regional, national, or city level, in accordance with local pollinators’ needs and issues. This list is meant to inspire, share information, and provide some concrete examples of current plans of action. This list is a snapchat of what countries have shared with FAO. Send an email to [email protected] to see your national initiative featured on this list.
Other initiatives
Concurrently with the international and national initiatives, there are some other ongoing projects carried out across different countries by different actors. The general purpose of these initiatives is to involve different stakeholders such as academia and civil society actors in a general effort aimed at the conservation and sustainable use and management of ecosystem services delivered by both wild and managed pollinators.