Pollinator-friendly agriculture

Pollinator animals –a wide variety of insects, birds, and mammals– are key elements for the conservation of natural ecosystems and the stability and enhancement of agricultural production. Around 90% of flowering plants depend, directly or indirectly, on animal pollination.

Pollination-dependent crops contribute to 35% of the global crop production volume, and more than three-quarters of the leading types of global food crops rely to some extent on animal pollinators to guarantee good yields and product quality.It is estimated that around 5% to 8% of crop production can be directly attributed to animal pollinators, with an annual market value ranging from US$235 billion to US$577 billion.

Protecting and increasing wild pollinators is not only economically important, but also contributes to food safety, better livelihoods and environmental conservation. Our approach is based on offering solutions for production systems that reduce the pressure of agriculture on the natural populations of pollinators, while favoring their recovery.

Impact delivering

SAN proposes the design of “pollinator friendly” management plans, including practices that:

• Reduce ecosystem degradation, pollution, destruction or fragmentation.

• Avoid the potential negative effects of agriculture and livestock-related activities on local wildlife.

• Prioritize the use of integrated pest management approaches as a way to protect crop health and reduce the toxic footprint of agrochemicals.

• Manage synthetic pesticides responsibly on operations where they are used as a last resort, without using highly toxic substances, and implementing risk mitigation measures.

• Manage pollination services to prevent any negative effects of farmed pollinator communities over wild pollinators.

With the support both from local SAN technical specialists and the Oregon State University’s Integrated Plant Protection Center, SAN establishes the scientific foundations for each intervention and designs specific intervention strategies based on a participatory approach to determine the best practices for the conservation and restoration of pollinator populations.