Policies for pollinator-friendly agricultural landscapes

LUCAS ALEJANDRO GARIBALDI

Congreso; 46th Apimondia - International Apicultural Congress; 2019

Pollinator diversityis being lost at an alarming rate. One of the main causes of thisloss is the land-use change caused by the expansion of conventionalagriculture and livestock production. Management practices such asmonocultures and the intensive use of agrochemicals reduce the numberof species of plants, birds, bees and other taxonomic groups, andincrease, at the same time, the relative abundance (dominance) of oneor a few cultivated and wild (e.g., weed) species. Given that ~40% ofthe terrestrial surface is occupied by crop and livestock lands, itis critical to increase food production without destroying pollinatordiversity. In addition to the value given by its ethical andspiritual dimensions, and the potential use of future generations, inthis talk I will discuss the value of biodiversity for agriculture,using pollinators as a case of study. Paradoxically, conventionalagriculture is reducing pollinator diversity, but this diversity isnecessary for increasing productivity (and its temporal and spatialstability) of many crops. Several studies show that the loss of wildpollinator diversity cannot be replaced by a high abundance of asingle pollinator species (dominance). Therefore, I will discussactions that producers, consumers, politicians and scientists cantake to recover diversity. For example, producers can implementmanagement practices in- and outside the crop fields to increasefloral and nesting resources, and therefore pollinator abundance anddiversity. In addition, consumers can modify diets, reduce waste andproduce food at small scales, among many other actions. One singlestrategy will not be enough to solve the dilemma of producing foodand preserving biodiversity: multiple actions must be taken urgentlyfrom all the stakeholders.p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }