Protecting British Pollinators: Promoting Biodiversity & Transitioning Away From Toxic Pesticide

Globally, almost 90% of wild plants and 75% of leading crops depend on animal pollination. However, according to a UN report, almost 35% of invertebrate pollinators and 17% of vertebrate pollinators are under threat. This is largely a result of human activity, as climate change, habitat loss and pesticide use put many vital pollinators on the verge of extinction. A recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives (Smith et al. 2022) found the global loss of pollinators to be causing around 500,000 early deaths a year due to reduced supplies of healthy foods. In the UK, wildflower meadows, a key habitat for pollinators, have declined by 97% since the 1930s. A 2021 report led by Buglife found a 58.5% reduction in the abundance of actively flying insects in the UK between 2004 and 2021. Extinctions and biodiversity loss also have an economic impact. According to a study by the University of Reading, pollinating insects are worth around £690 million to the UK’s economy per annum. In the wake of the limited advances made at COP27 on climate change and COP15 on biodiversity, the need to protect pollinators has never been more urgent.

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