Pollinators What Governments Can Do to Safeguard Pollination Services by Lynn V
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INSIGHTS | PERSPECTIVES SCIENCE GALLEY OVERLINE Ten policies for pollinators What Governments can do to safeguard pollination services By Lynn V. Dicks1, Blandina Viana2, Riccardo Bommarco3, Berry Brosi4, María del Coro Arizmendi5, Saul A. Cunningham6, Leonardo Galetto7, Rosemary Hill8, Ariadna V. Lopes9, Carmen Pires10, Hisatomo Taki11, Simon G. Potts12 1 2 Earlier this year, the first global thematic as- tional pesticide regulation and control sys- highlighted in the UN Sustainable Develop- 3 sessment from the Intergovernmental Sci- tems, nor adhere to the International Code ment Goals and the CBD’s Strategic Plan for 4 ence-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Eco- of Conduct on Pesticide Management Biodiversity, which parties to the CBD are 5 system Services (IPBES) evaluated the state of (ICCPM), recently updated by the United Na- implementing in National Strategies and Ac- 6 knowledge about pollinators and pollination tions (UN) (8, 9). International pressure to tion Plans. This creates momentum and op- 7 (1,2). It confirmed evidence of large-scale wild raise pesticide regulatory standards across portunity for regulators to consider limiting 8 pollinator declines in North West Europe and the world should be a priority. This includes and better managing pollinator movement 9 North America, and identified data shortfalls consideration of sublethal and indirect ef- within and between countries. For example, 10 and an urgent need for monitoring elsewhere fects in risk assessment, and evaluating risks in 2015 the UK nature conservation agency, 11 in the world. With high level political com- to a range of pollinator species, not just the Natural England, amended its licensing re- 12 mitments to support pollinators in the US (3), honey bee Apis mellifera. gime so that use of non-native bumblebee 13 the UK (4) and France (5), encouragement A second opportunity is to capitalize on sub-species for pollination in glasshouses 14 from the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM), recog- was only permitted when the native sub- 15 (CBD) scientific advice body (6), and the issue nized in international policies such as the species was commercially unavailable. 16 on the agenda for next month’s Conference of ICCPM (9) and the European Union’s (EU) 17 the Parties of the CBD, we see a chance for Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (10). Sustainable farming 18 global-scale policy change. We extend beyond IPM combines pest control methods such as Agriculture is a major driver of pollina- 19 the IPBES report, which we helped to write, cultivation practices, biological pest control, tor declines, through land use change, inten- 20 and suggest 10 policies that governments and pest monitoring, with pesticides used sive practices such as tillage and agrochemi- 21 should seriously consider, to protect pollina- only when other strategies are insufficient cal use, and declines in traditional farming 22 tors and secure pollination services. Our sug- (11). IPM can decrease pesticide use and re- practices. Agriculture also provides oppor- 23 gestions are not the only available responses, duces risks to non-target organisms. tunities to support wild pollinators (1, 13). 24 but those we consider most likely to succeed, Thirdly, genetically modified (GM) crops We propose two complementary policy ob- 25 due to synergy with international policy objec- pose potential risks through poorly under- jectives: (i) promote ecological intensifica- 26 tives and strategies, or formulation of interna- stood sublethal and indirect effects (1). For tion of agriculture (15), and (ii) support di- 27 tional policy creating opportunity for change. example, GM herbicide-tolerant crops lead versified farming systems (16). 28 We make these suggestions as independent to increased herbicide use, reducing the Ecological intensification involves man- 29 scientists, not on behalf of IPBES. availability of flowers in the landscape, but aging ecological functions such as pollina- 30 consequences for pollinator abundance and tion and natural pest regulation as part of 31 Risk reduction diversity are unknown. GM crop risk as- highly productive agriculture. It can be as 32 Pesticides, the most heavily regulated of sessments in most countries do not capture profitable and productive as conventional 33 the interacting drivers of pollinator declines these effects. They evaluate only direct ef- approaches at a farm level, with up to 8% of 34 (7), pose risks through a combination of tox- fects of acute exposure to proteins ex- land out of production to provide habitats 35 icity and exposure, but uncertainty remains pressed in the GM plants, usually in terms of that support beneficial organisms (17). 36 about risk from indirect and sublethal ef- the dose that kills 50% of adults (LD50), and A major barrier to uptake of ecological 37 fects. Risk assessment and use regulation only for honey bees, not other pollinators. intensification is uncertainty about ecologi- 38 can reduce pesticide hazards at national International guidance to improve GM or- cal and agronomic outcomes. To tackle un- 39 scales (2), yet such regulation is uneven ganism risk assessment is being developed certainty, a promising option is to adjust 40 globally. Many countries do not have na- under the CBD’s Cartagena Protocol on Bi- crop insurance schemes to provide incen- 41 osafety (12), presenting an opportunity to tives such as lower premiums, or smaller 42 encourage inclusion of indirect and suble- loss thresholds, for farmers who take action 1University of East Anglia, NR4 7TL, UK. 2Universidade 43 Federal da Bahia, 40170-210, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. thal effects on a range of pollinator species. to promote pollinators. Insurance is a key 44 3Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Finally, there are substantial risks from element in ‘climate-smart agriculture’ (18), 4 45 Uppsala, Sweden. Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 movement of managed pollinators around but has yet to be tested or adopted for more USA. 5Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 46 Tlalnepantla, Edo. México 54090. 6The Australian the world (1). Managed pollinators, includ- general agricultural sustainability. 47 National University, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia. ing newly domesticated species, offer op- Another barrier, lack of knowledge 48 7Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, CC 495, 5000, portunities to grow businesses and improve among farmers and agronomists, can be ad- Córdoba, Argentina. 8CSIRO Land and Water, James 49 Cook University, Cairns, Australia. 9Universidade Federal pollination services (13). Commercial bum- dressed by extension services. For example, 50 de Pernambuco, 50670-901, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. ble bee trade has grown dramatically, lead- a national Farm Advisory System is obliga- 51 10Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, CEP ing to invasions of Bombus terrestris beyond tory for Member States under the EU’s 11 70770-917, Brasília, DF, Brazil. Forestry and Forest its native range and increasing the risk of Common Agricultural Policy. The extent to 52 Products Research Institute, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, 53 Japan. 12University of Reading, RG6 6AR, UK. Email: disease transfer to native wild bee popula- which these provide information relevant to 54 [email protected] tions, potentially including other bee species ecological management could be improved. (14). The issue of invasive species has been Diversified farming systems (including 55 56 57 58 59 sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL. xxx • galley printed 30 November, 2016 • • For Issue Date: ???? 1 1 some organic farms, home gardens, agro- about the status of pollinators worldwide Technological Advice (SBSTTA), Twentieth meeting, Montreal, Canada, 25-30 April 2016, 2016). 2 forestry and mixed cropping and livestock and the effectiveness of measures to protect 7. D. Goulson, E. Nicholls, C. Botías, E. L. Rotheray, Sci- 3 systems) incorporate many pollinator- them (1). Evidence is largely limited to local- ence 347, 10.1126/science.1255957 (2015). 4 friendly practices such as flowering hedge- scale, short-term effects, and biased towards 8. G. Ekström, B. Ekbom, Outlooks on Pest Management 21, 125-131 (2010). 5 rows, habitat patchiness and intercropping Europe and North America. There is a need 9. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health 6 (1). Support for these systems can be for long-term, widespread monitoring of Organisation (WHO), "The international code of con- 7 achieved through financial incentives, such pollinators and pollination services. Recent duct on pesticide management," (Food and Agriculture as European agri-environment schemes research funded by the UK Government as Organisation of the United Nations, 2014) 8 10. European Commission, "Directive 2009/128/EC of 9 (19), or market-based instruments such as part of the National Pollinator Strategy for the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 Oc- 10 certification schemes with a price premium, England (4) compared ways to achieve this tober 2009 establishing a framework for Community 11 both used to support organic farming. In at monitoring, with varying levels of profes- action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides," (Official Journal of the European Union, 2009). 12 least sixty countries, these practices and sional and volunteer involvement (25). 11. G. Ekström, B. Ekbom, Critical Reviews in Plant Sci- 13 farming systems depend on indigenous and Although knowledge gaps and research ences, 30, 74–94 (2011) 14 local knowledge (2).