20/11/2025

A new systematic map published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence has quietly delivered one of the most useful insights in today’s pollination discourse. By reviewing over 16 000 documents and cataloguing 134 decision-support tools, the study shows that the world is not lacking information. the challenge is that information lives in fragments.

Most tools were developed in Europe or North America. many use broad categories like “pollinators” instead of specific groups, and nearly 40 percent do not define their intended users. Technical requirements are often high, making them less accessible to the farmers, beekeepers and local institutions who could benefit the most. These are not shortcomings. they reflect the way tools emerge. through research projects, national priorities, donor cycles and regional data availability.

This pattern matters because pollination does not follow the same geography as tool development. Regions with the highest dependence on animal-pollinated crops-Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia-are precisely those with the fewest tailored tools. And yet these are the landscapes where small productivity gains, or small losses, translate into major consequences for rural livelihoods, nutrition and biodiversity.

The systematic map therefore becomes more than a catalogue. it exposes a structural gap. Knowledge exists, but it is scattered. Tools are available, but not aligned. Farmers need guidance that is simple, practical and relevant to their crops and climates. Policymakers need frameworks that connect pollinator conservation to food systems, biodiversity goals and climate resilience. Researchers need a space where tools, datasets and methods can be compared and improved.

This is precisely where the International Pollinators Initiative (IPI) provides a path forward. The Plan of Action 2018–2030 already calls for shared databases, harmonised methodologies, and accessible digital platforms. The results of the new scientific article reinforce the logic behind this. not by criticism, but by evidence.

A global pollination platform, developed under IPI, would respond to the gaps identified by the study by.

• bringing existing tools into a single, searchable space
• helping users filter by region, crop system, pollinator group and skill level
• connecting tool developers, policymakers, extension services and local communities
• supporting countries in meeting the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets that require coordinated action on pollinators
• enabling long-term continuity beyond project cycles

The reason this is important is simple. fragmented tools lead to fragmented action. when researchers, governments and farmers do not have a common reference point, each works with partial information. This slows implementation, weakens policy alignment and limits the impact of conservation measures.

By contrast, a unified global platform offers coherence. it lowers barriers for countries with fewer resources. it amplifies existing work instead of reinventing it. and it creates a shared foundation for strengthening pollination services across agricultural landscapes worldwide.

The new systematic map makes this visible. not dramatically, but clearly. The science shows where we are. The International Pollinators Initiative shows where we can go. A global platform is the bridge between the two.