This research article reports on a pilot study in Zimbabwe investigating the Farming with Alternative Pollinators (FAP) approach: smallholder farmers incorporated “Marketable Habitat Enhancement Plants” (MHEPs) along field edges to boost wild pollinator diversity and abundance. Results: FAP plots showed significantly higher pollinator richness and abundance, and income from all crops was significantly higher than in control plots.

Key practical implications:

• Agro-ecological interventions that integrate pollinator-friendly habitat can result in measurable livelihood gains.

• For agronomists like you, this means designing cropping systems not only for yield but for ecological functioning and income resilience.

• Scaling such practices will require adaptation to local context, monitoring pollinator metrics and coupling with farmer training.