An agricultural Model Good for Pollinators: the way forward

Noa SimonBrussels, 6 Nov 2013

Why to question the agricultural model ?

imbalance in the ecosystems and threats to ecosystem services, e.g. lack of pollinators, crashes in biodiversity (both species richness and population sizes)

chemical residues in foodstuffs

social and economical upheaval, e.g. decrease in the number of family farms, dependency of farmers on the agro-chemical/seed industry, soaring production costs

This system has not solved worldwide hunger and food insecurity

Bees - assessing environmental sustainability linked to farming practices

© UNAAPI

Agricultural tools allowing intensive agriculture

Some examples: Pesticides Genetic modification of organismsNew technologies: nanotechnology, interfering

RNAs, etc.

Double-edged weapons often presented as opportunities by their developers, which become

counterproductive for sustainability

WHY?Because their logic goes against life

Pesticides - Why to be concerned?

• TOXIC - more than 7 000 times more toxic to bees than DDT, effective at the level of nanograms/bee (0.000 000 001 g) – detection ?

• PREVENTIVE USE

• Chemical properties allow uses that enable WIDE DISTRIBUTION IN THE ENVIRONMENT – water, air, flowers... - HIGHLY PERSISTENT

Why to promote bee-friendly agricultural models?

Because we need bees for our future

They stimulate life (biodiversity and biodiversity stimulates their well-being)

They ensure long-term sustainability of food production – FOR FREE !!

Agrochemistry → Growing movement to use agronomic practices

What can be done?

Be consistent with the EU legislation and ensure a coherent farming policy

CROP PROTECTION - FROM ERRADICATION TO MANAGEMENT - Limit the use of pesticides (e.g. Integrated Pest Management, organic production, biological control, etc.)

Elimination of preventive uses of chemicals

Incentivise farmers for NOT using pesticides (e.g. Offer compensations in case o economic loss due to pests)

Recover agronomical knowledge: Enabling farmers to base their practices on facts

INDEPENDENT training programmes for farmers, agro-technicians, agronomists and researchers

What can be done? Create an effective platform to share

information on alternatives

Support and fund independent and

participatory research: to build the scientific foundations for a

transition to fair and sustainable agricultural

systems

Restrict the influence of pesticide producing

industries

Use of resistant crop varieties (e.g. Multi-resistant wheat)

Return of agronomic practices: Crop rotation, multi-cropping, stimulation of beneficial insects

Crops attractive to bees (e.g. pulses)

No authorisation of techniques that cannot be adequately monitored or

evaluated

EBC proposes

A charter – For Sustainable Agriculture and Countryside - For Pollinator-friendly Farming: How can we 'Bee the change'?

Proposals – Report « Pollinator friendly farming is possible »

Thank you very much for your attention!

Bee-Life - European Beekeeping Coordinationcoeur@bee-life.eu

www.bee-life.eu