It is time to overcome separate silos for pollinator and agricultural research


Published on: March 31, 2020, Submitted by Stefanie Christmann on: March 27, 2020


Watermelon is a good example. Watermelon is a crop with high pollinator dependency. Without efficient pollinators, productivity can drop down by up to 95%. Therefore, agricultural research teams modelling watermelon production in the course of climate change must calibrate also pollinator availability, otherwise the result can be highly misleading. However, pollinators are not yet in the scope of such models. In the same way pollinator research works mainly in its silo and neglects farmers’ criteria for field management.



A new article in Current Opinion on Plant Biology reviews, why separate research silos for agricultural and for pollinator research hamper progress in both aspects, agricultural production and pollinator protection. Already now, agro-industrial production reduces productivity of pollinator dependent crops in some regions. Climate change enforces to collaborate for synergies, as climate change effects endanger pollinators in many aspects, for instance by temperature extremes, seasonal abnormalities and disruption of the clockwork of plants and pollinators. Pollinator decline can cause serious primary and secondary consequences with high risks for ecosystems and human wellbeing, as described in the article.

 

Globally, and particularly in dry regions agricultural production shifts to pollinator dependent crops already for decades, but these regions are also highly prone to climate change effects. Therefore, especially agricultural research organisations operating in dry regions like North Africa, Near and Middle East or Central Asia need to adjust their research agenda in the course of climate change.

The article shows how a synergy of socio-economic and agro-ecological disciplines, as in Farming with Alternative Pollinators (FAP) can promote cross-cutting benefits and thus contribute to 5 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through pollinator protection:

 

  • Combat poverty (SDG 1) by higher income per field surface; prevent poverty by better sustained pollinators and in consequence ecosystem services
  • combat hunger (SDG 2) by higher productivity of nutrient-rich crops and higher food security
  • support health (SDG 3) by reduced need for chemicals, healthier fruits and vegetables and more beautiful landscapes promoting recreation, mental health and ecotourism
  • adaptation to climate change through sustained cross-pollination, allowing 87% of flowering plants to adapt to climate change (SDG 13)
  • sustain biodiversity and Life on Earth (SDG 15) by sustaining pollinators, which are also basic for many plants and in consequence for diversity of fauna and habitats.
 

Acknowledgement

Federal German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Keywords

biodiversity health poverty Farming with Alternative Pollinators (FAP) synergies Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

Countries

About the author

Stefanie Christmann is Senior scientist, Farming with Alternative Pollinators at International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas - ICARDA.