The Bee Cause

While the rate of bee colony loss has decreased in the two years since our campaign was launched, the British Bee Keepers Association reported 'unacceptably high losses' of 13.6% of bee colonies last year over the winter, with only eight of the 24 bumblebee species now commonly found in the UK. Our bee populations continue to decline as they face many challenges such as, deterioration and loss of their habitats, climate change, disease, changing agricultural practices and the potentially devastating effects of widespread pesticide and insecticide use.

The draft National Pollinator Strategy (NPS) published earlier this year by DEFRA addressed some of these concerns, with a proposed plan of cross departmental approaches. However the NFWI feels that while positive the NPS is not robust enough and would like to see stronger measures on planning and land management to support bee colonies, incentivising farmers to do more to reverse bee decline through integrated pest management and clear guidance on how to reduce detrimental pesticide/insecticide applications to acceptable levels without compromising crop yield, and more non agrochemical industry funded research into the effects of pesticides, especially the currently banned neonicotinoid pesticides.

We discussed these concerns and others with MPs and the public at the Bee Tea

DEFRA relying on industry funding for pesticide research, and how objective and transparent this research will be. Especially since farmers will now be using other pesticides or combinations of, after the EU ban. DEFRA should define what 'integrated pest management' (IPM) means, and set clearer targets and guidance for farmers, and incentivise farmers to change farming practices.

We need to consider the impact of CAP reform in 2014, and how CAP reform and the NPS could support each other. Is there a lack of cohesion between the NPS and the forthcoming CAP reforms. The most recent also strongly suggests that the government makes clear it supports the EU ban on neonicotinoid pesticides. We also talked about the problems of restricting pesticide use without providing proper solutions. This may result in cocktails of pesticides being used instead.

We all have a role to play in our gardens and in our communities to help do this, but government leadership will also be important to ensure that the right framework is in place to ensure that action can, and is taken by local and national government to promote and protect bee-friendly spaces.