Futurescope: Pollinators

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Futurescope Pollinators FAN Club 16 September
2009
Dr Harry Woodroof Acting Head, Foresight
Horizon Scanning Centre Government Office for
Science Department of Business, Innovation and
Skills Bay 250, Kingsgate House, 66 74
Victoria St, London. SW1E 6SW 44 (0)203 300
8840 harry.woodroof_at_bis.gsi.gov.uk
lthttp//www.foresight.gov.uk/horizonscanning/gt
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Sources

• Giant Asian Hornets vs Bees
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vv23GFc0KG4c

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Pollinators include

• Wind
• Animals
• Mammals, Reptiles and Birds
• INSECTS
• Flies, Moths/Butterflies and Beetles
• BEES
• Wild
• MANAGED COLONIES OF DOMESTICATED BEES
• e.g. Eurasian Honeybee Apis mellifera

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Pollinators for

• Agriculture
• one-third of global food production from
  animal-pollinated crops
• Honey bees
• 14.6Bn of food crop value in US
• 120 - 140m in UK agri- horti-culture
• Medicine
• Traditional medicines
• Modern pharmaceuticals

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Pollinators risks to them

• Environmental
• Loss of habitat
• Agricultural chemicals
• Invasive species
• Climate change
• Affects timing
• Shifts latitude/altitude envelope

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Pollinators observed declines

• Endangered pollinators
• 2 bat and 13 birds in US
• Unknown number of pollinator insects
• up to 25 of known bee species in many countries
  (FAO)
• Colony Collapse Disorder
• Sudden disappearence of worker bees from colonies
• Causes?
• Parasites Varroa destructor
• Pesticides neo-nicotinoids
• Stress (nutrition, climate, EM radiation)

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Pollinators risks if they fail

• Environmental
• Loss of biodiversity
• Climate disruption of CO2 and water cycles
• Social economic
• Food security
• Rural livelihoods
• Industry
• Pharmaceutical
• Current
• Future
• Bioenergy

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Pollinators current governance (1)

• Relevant ones include (although not necessarily
  mentioning pollinators)
• International
• International Initiative for the Conservation and
  Sustainable Use of Pollinators (UN Food and
  Agriculture Organisation)
• Conservation and Management of Pollinators for
  Sustainable Agriculture (UN Environment Programme
  and FAO)

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Pollinators current governance (2)

• EU
• Environmental Impact Directive Environmental
  Liability Directive
• EU-funded Assessing Large-scale environmental
  Risks for biodiversity with tested Method (ALARM)
  project
• Habitats Directive Natura 2000 Wild Birds
  Directive
• Plant Protection Directive
• Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
• National

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Pollinators deficits in risk governance

• Uncertainty of the science
• Representation of costs/value in economic
  instruments
• Land use policies
• Stakeholder interests

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Pollinators some possible interventions

• Reduce knowledge gaps
• Governance practices
• Improve stakeholder participation and
  communication