National Pollinator Strategy about to launch

The National Pollinator Strategy for bees and other pollinators in England sets out proposals to safeguard pollinating insects, given their important role in contributing to food production and the diversity of our environment through the pollination of many crop and wild plants.

The NFU sees that the real strength of the National Pollinator Strategy is that it is strongly evidence-based, drawing heavily on the detailed independent report on the ‘Status and value of pollinators and pollination services’, which is due to be published alongside it.

The evidence report concludes that ‘Without systematic and standardised monitoring of pollinator populations it is impossible to state unequivocally whether wild insect pollinators are in decline or not.’ This makes clear where we are regarding our current state of knowledge, and more importantly emphasizes why it is critically important that the Strategy puts in place a comprehensive national pollinator and pollination monitoring programme.

Considering the evidence we know and the many uncertainties involved in this issue, the NFU sees the proposed National Pollinator Strategy as generally providing a balanced, pragmatic, evidence-based and still challenging approach to supporting pollinators.

The Strategy importantly also provides a clear framework for doing more as we find out more.

Considering that 70% of the UK landscape is farmland, and considering how land use intensification associated with farmland is recognised one of several pressures on pollinator populations, it is understandable that the National Pollinator Strategy is set to include policy actions specifically focussed on the management of farmland. These call on farmers and growers to help support pollinators in two main ways 1) by the uptake of Integrated Pest Management, and 2) by putting in place environmental measures that offer food and shelter resources for pollinating insects.

The NFU thinks that the proposed actions regarding pesticides and IPM in the Strategy are set to be proportionate and evidence-based, and appropriately reflect the EU and UK regulatory regimes, the code of practice for using plant protection products, the EU directive on the sustainable use of pesticides, and the UK national action plan for the sustainable use of pesticides.

The NFU is already committed to promoting the uptake of management measures on farmland to benefit pollinators, under the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) and more widely. In 2014, 450,000 ha were managed under a variety of unpaid CFE environmental measures and, as part of this, farmers provided 8000 ha of flowers for pollinators (wildflower mix, pollen and nectar mix, and flower-rich temporary grass). This year, the CFE has delivered nearly 40 pollinator themed farm walks and events reaching over 900 farmers across the country. The NFU is hugely encouraged by the fact farming is already delivering for pollinators on a greater scale than any other industry or initiative.