Today is World Bee Day, WWF:“A national plan is needed to protect them”

35% of global agricultural production depends on these insects, with an estimated economic value of over 153 billion euros each year.

ROME – If there are any animal species in the world to which human beings owe their survival and well-being to bees, of which their World Day is celebrated today.Why dedicate a world day to insects?Because we cannot do without their tireless 'work'.In fact, 35% of world agricultural production depends on them, with an estimated economic value of over 1 each year53 billion euros globally and 22 billion euros for Europe alone. WWF Italy, which for years has carried out numerous conservation and protection activities for these precious species, also through the network of its Oases, urges the urgency of the adoption and implementation by our Government of a National Plan for the conservation of pollinators, foreseen by the National Biodiversity Strategy 2030.On 3 August 2023, the Ministerial Decree adopting the new National Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and establishing its governance bodies was signed, but since then there have been no concrete steps for its implementation.

THE ALARM OF THE BEEKEEPERS

Beekeepers have long raised the alarm about the drastic reduction in the number and productivity of hives.Climate change, together with intensive agricultural practices which involve the use of pesticides dangerous for bees and other pollinators, endanger this priceless heritage of Italian agriculture which is carefully monitored by the Ministry of Agricultural Policies. with the 'BeeNet' project for which Crea is responsible (Agriculture and Environment Research Centre).Laboratory analyzes have made it possible to find cases of the presence of the active substances of plant protection products on bees and pollen, used in the areas over which they fly and forage.Over the last few years in Italy, EFSA has recorded bee losses between one hundred and one thousand times greater than what is normally observed.While research on the loss of pollinator biodiversity, conducted by IPBES already in 2016, shows that 40% of wild bee and butterfly species are at risk.

WHY POLLINATION IS IMPORTANT

Pollination is one of the most important ecosystem services provided by nature for human well-being and our economy. Nearly 90% of all wild flowering plants depend on animal pollination, while of the 1,400 plants that produce food and industrial products in the world, almost 80% require pollination by animals, not only domestic and wild bees, but also wasps, butterflies and moths, hoverflies, beetles, birds, bats and other vertebrates.Even considering wild bees alone, it is a veritable army of over 20,000 species that guarantee the pollination of flowers on which 35% of global agricultural production depends. 84% of major crops for human consumption in Europe, including many fruits and vegetables, require pollination of insects to improve their quality and performance.The European Union would therefore have good reasons to take care of bees and other pollinating insects, but today - according to WWF Italy - this still does not happen as it should, despite the European Commission having adopted in January 2023 the 'Review of the initiative of 'EU for pollinators'.

“Pollinating insects they need ecosystems free from poisons and diversified, with the presence of hedges, trees, buffer strips with nectariferous flowers, ponds, to feed and complete their reproductive cycle.This is why it is fundamental eliminate the pesticides that poison our agriculture and bring Nature back into farms - states Eva Alessi, Sustainability Manager of WWF Italy - To achieve these objectives and not leave good intentions on paper, Member States, farmers, the agri-food industry and European citizens are called upon today to play an active role and assume our responsibilities to support the necessary ecological transition of our agriculture".

EVERY EU STATE MUST DO ITS PART

The National Biodiversity Strategy provides for a specific action for the protection of pollinating insects which, in addition to the definition and implementation of a National Plan for the conservation of pollinators, provides - among other actions - the definition of a coordinated monitoring process, which includes the development of specific citizen science networks to evaluate the conservation status of pollinators and their habitats, with the identification of solid indicators. After the withdrawal of the European Sur Regulation for the reduction of the use of pesticides and the blocking of the European Regulation on nature restoration, the European Initiative 'A new deal for pollinators' (adopted on 24 January 2023 as a revision of the previous 2018 Initiative) was left without its most important implementation tools.Responsibility for the actions necessary to protect pollinating insects it now belongs to the individual member states of the Union and the Italian Government is called to do its part recovering delays and non-compliances.
While waiting for the National Plan for the protection of pollinators, WWF Italy renews its commitment through the system of its protected natural areas.From 2024 the first three WWF Oases will actively participate in butterfly monitoring, joining a project that aims to evaluate the abundance of butterfly populations in order to establish appropriate conservation strategies.Furthermore, there are 28 WWF Oases where nature restoration interventions have been carried out to encourage the feeding and shelter primarily of wild apoidea, in particular such as bumblebees and osmia, through the sowing of nectariferous and polliniferous flowers and the placement of nests artificial.