Latin America advances in the protection of pollinators

Pollination is essential to ensure food production and maintain terrestrial biodiversity. Over 75% of the world's major crops depend on it. However, pollinator insect populations are showing a significant decline due to habitat loss, indiscriminate pesticide use, invasive species, pests, and the effects of climate change. Furthermore, the knowledge gaps regarding the scale of the problem emphasize the need for coordinated regional actions.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Strategy for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Agricultural Sector and the 2018-2030 Action Plan, is leading efforts in the region to protect pollinators. These efforts align with the International Pollinators Initiative, which promotes comprehensive and sustainable measures.

The FAO provides technical support to countries to design and implement public policies that mainstream biodiversity as a cross-cutting axis.

Frederic Castell, from the FAO's Office of Climate, Biodiversity, and Environment, has highlighted the importance of this plan to incorporate pollinator protection into national political agendas.

In this regard, FAO has made significant progress in the region, with initiatives such as self-learning online courses on meliponiculture and bee taxonomy. These include “Stingless Bees: An Introduction to Meliponiculture” and “Bees of Latin America: An Introduction to Their Taxonomic Identification”, which attracted over 3,800 enrollees in 2024.

Additionally, a training session was organized in the community of Alto Corací, in Paragominas, northeastern Pará State, Brazil, specifically targeting rural women, encouraging their participation in the protection of ecosystems.

At international events such as the COP16 on Biodiversity, held in Cali, Colombia, the FAO led the dialogue space "Biodiversity and Pollinators in Latin America," where progress and challenges in the region were analyzed, highlighting the creation of working networks that have advanced knowledge about pollinators in Latin America and the Caribbean.

On this occasion, Andreas Gettkant, a representative of German development cooperation (implemented by GIZ) shared updates on the regional Poli-LAC project, which focuses on protecting pollinator insects and pollination services in the region. The project aims to enhance knowledge management and governance practices at the local, national, and regional levels to promote this ecosystem service.

In this way, Latin America and the Caribbean continue to drive actions for the protection of pollinators, which are essential to ensure a better production, a better environment, better nutrition, and a better life, leaving no one behind.