皇家华人is joining many other organisations from across Europe this week for the second annual meeting of an EU-funded project on Sustainable pollination in Europe - SUPER-B.
皇家华人is part of SUPER-B because we recognise that farmers, growers and commercial beekeepers rely on pollination services and we need to better understand the threats to those services, the value of those services, and the opportunities to undertake cost-effective measures within agricultural landscapes that will improve the prospects for insect pollinators. Super-B is aiming to deliver this better understanding.
More than 70% of crops across Europe need insects for optimal pollination - these include many fruits, nuts, oil crops, fibres and vegetables, with some producing no yield without insect pollination.
The direct economic value of crop pollination by insects in the EU is over 14 billion euro annually. In addition, over 80% of wild plant species benefit from animal pollinators for fruit and seed production, making pollination a key service for ecosystem and biodiversity maintenance.
SUPER-B is combining scientific evidence (existing and new knowledge) and social feedback for developing conservation strategies for pollinators.
Specifically, Super-B will
(1) identify the role of insect pollination in agriculture and other ecosystems
(2) clarify best practices for mitigation of pollination loss, and
(3) compare and contrast important drivers of pollinator loss for both wild and managed species.
SUPER-B will contribute towards maintaining natural ecosystems and achieving sustainable use of pollinators in agricultural production. Its results are relevant to all European countries and will be disseminated to a wide community of those who will benefit, including scientists, farmers, beekeepers, industry, policy-makers, NGOs and the public.