Editing Pollinator (section)

==Pollinator population declines and conservation==
{{main|Pollinator decline}}

Pollinators provide a key [[ecosystem services|ecosystem service]] vital to the maintenance of both wild and agricultural plant communities. In 1999 the [[Convention on Biological Diversity]] issued the São Paulo Declaration on Pollinators, recognizing the critical role that these species play in supporting and maintaining terrestrial productivity as well as the survival challenges they face due to anthropogenic change. Today pollinators are considered to be in a state of decline;<ref>{{cite web | title = Predicting the collapse of pollinators | date = 23 March 2012 |url=http://www.comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz/rss/news/?feed=news&articleId=349 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121124084352/http://www.comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz/rss/news/?feed=news&articleId=349 | archive-date = 24 November 2012 | work = News - Communications | publisher = University of Canterbury  | location = New Zealand  |access-date=2 April 2012}}</ref> some species, such as Franklin's bumble bee (''[[Bombus franklini]]'') have been red-listed and are in danger of extinction. Although managed bee hives are increasing worldwide, these can not compensate for the loss of wild pollinators in many locations.

A 2017 report done for the Center of Biological Diversity utilized data documented in the United States on native bee species and found that nearly 1 in 4 (347 species of 1,437 species) is imperiled and at increasing risk of extinction. More than half of the native bee species is in decline and 40% of global insect pollinators (primarily native bees) are highly threatened.<ref name=":82"/>

Declines in the health and population of pollinators pose what could be a significant threat to the integrity of biodiversity, to global food webs, and to human health. At least 80% of our world's crop species require pollination to set seed. A 2021 study estimated that without pollinators, fertility would be reduced by 80% in half all wild plant species and one-third of all wild plant species would fail to produce any seeds at all.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Rodger |first1=James G. |last2=Bennett |first2=Joanne M. |last3=Razanajatovo |first3=Mialy |last4=Knight |first4=Tiffany M. |last5=van Kleunen |first5=Mark |last6=Ashman |first6=Tia-Lynn |last7=Steets |first7=Janette A. |last8=Hui |first8=Cang |last9=Arceo-Gómez |first9=Gerardo |last10=Burd |first10=Martin |last11=Burkle |first11=Laura A. |last12=Burns |first12=Jean H. |last13=Durka |first13=Walter |last14=Freitas |first14=Leandro |last15=Kemp |first15=Jurene E. |date=15 October 2021 |title=Widespread vulnerability of flowering plant seed production to pollinator declines |journal=Science Advances |language=en |volume=7 |issue=42 |pages=eabd3524 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abd3524 |issn=2375-2548 |pmc=8514087 |pmid=34644118|bibcode=2021SciA....7.3524R }}</ref>

An estimated one out of every three bites of food comes to us through the work of animal pollinators. The quality of pollinator service has declined over time and this had led to concerns that pollination will be less resistant to extinction in the future.

A 2022 study concludes that the decline of pollinator populations is responsible for 500,000 early human deaths per year by reducing the supply of healthy foods. A decline of pollinators has caused 3-5% loss of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Lower consumption of these healthy foods translates to 1% of all deaths, according to the authors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2023| vauthors = Carrington D |title=Global pollinator losses causing 500,000 early deaths a year – study |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/09/global-pollinator-losses-causing-500000-early-deaths-a-year-study |access-date=9 January 2023 | work = the Guardian |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Smith MR, Mueller ND, Springmann M, Sulser TB, Garibaldi LA, Gerber J, Wiebe K, Myers SS | title = Pollinator Deficits, Food Consumption, and Consequences for Human Health: A Modeling Study | journal = Environmental Health Perspectives | volume = 130 | issue = 12 | pages = 127003 | date = December 2022 | pmid = 36515549 | pmc = 9749483 | doi = 10.1289/EHP10947 }}</ref>

=== Pesticide usage ===
Neonicotinoids (Neonics) are a class of synthetic insecticides that are the most widely applied pesticides today due to its water solubility and ability to treat a wide variety of pests. Neonics are highly environmentally persistent, and may contaminate terrestrial and aquatic habitats for as much as six years. Exposed honeybees' (Apis mellifera) have been seen to have lower reproductive output, reduction in nest building or failed to build nests, reduced foraging abilities, and weakened immunity.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last1=Wood |first1=Thomas James |last2=Goulson |first2=Dave |date=7 June 2017|title=The environmental risks of neonicotinoid pesticides: a review of the evidence post 2013 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9240-x |journal=Environmental Science and Pollution Research |volume=24 |issue=21 |pages=17285–17325 |doi=10.1007/s11356-017-9240-x |pmid=28593544 |pmc=5533829 |bibcode=2017ESPR...2417285W |issn=0944-1344}}</ref>

===Strategy===
{{Globalize|section|USA|2name=the United States|date=May 2019}}

Researchers are still trying to determine how to scientifically best restore and maintain the diverse pollinator habitats found around the world. Many studies conclude that restoration and conservation are key to maintaining biodiversity and pollinator populations. According to the Kansas National Park Service, native tallgrass prairie was widespread through North America and home to over 300 species of flowering plants. This habitat is crucial to wild pollinators and now only covers 4% of its original 170-million acre range.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last1=City |first1=Mailing Address: 2480B KS Hwy 177 Strong |last2=Us |first2=KS 66869 Phone: 620 273-8494 x270 Contact |title=Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/tapr/index.htm |access-date=22 February 2023|website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> By restoring wild pollinators natural habitat and maintaining Earth's biodiversity, populations are assumed to increase. In recent times, environmental groups have put pressure on the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] to ban [[neonicotinoids]], a type of insecticide.

On June 20, 2014, President [[Barack Obama]] issued a presidential memorandum entitled "Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators". The President's memorandum established a Pollinator Health Task Force, to be co-chaired by the [[United States Secretary of Agriculture|Secretary of Agriculture]] and the [[Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency]]. The memorandum stated:

{{blockquote|Pollinators contribute substantially to the economy of the United States and are vital to keeping fruits, nuts, and vegetables in our diets. Honey bee pollination alone adds more than $15 billion in value to agricultural crops each year in the United States. Over the past few decades, there has been a significant loss of pollinators, including honey bees, native bees, birds, bats, and butterflies, from the environment. The problem is serious and requires immediate attention to ensure the sustainability of our food production systems, avoid additional economic impact on the agricultural sector, and protect the health of the environment.<br/><br/> Pollinator losses have been severe. The number of migrating [[Monarch butterfly|Monarch butterflies]] sank to the lowest recorded population level in 2013-14, and there is an imminent risk of failed migration. The continued loss of commercial honey bee colonies poses a threat to the economic stability of commercial beekeeping and pollination operations in the United States, which could have profound implications for agriculture and food. Severe yearly declines create concern that bee colony losses could reach a point from which the commercial pollination industry would not be able to adequately recover. The loss of native bees, which also play a key role in pollination of crops, is much less studied, but many native bee species are believed to be in decline. Scientists believe that bee losses are likely caused by a combination of stressors, including poor bee nutrition, loss of forage lands, parasites, pathogens, lack of genetic diversity, and exposure to pesticides.<ref>{{cite web|last=Obama|first=President Barack|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/20/presidential-memorandum-creating-federal-strategy-promote-health-honey-b|title=Presidential Memorandum – Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators|date=20 June 2014 |work=Office of the Press Secretary|location=Washington, D.C.|publisher=[[White House|The White House]]|access-date=5 February 2018}}</ref>}}

In May 2015, the Pollinator Health Task Force issued a "National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators". The national strategy outlined a comprehensive approach to tackling and reducing the impact of multiple stressors on pollinator health, including pests and pathogens, reduced habitat, lack of nutritional resources, and exposure to pesticides.<ref name=strategy>{{cite web|author=Pollinator Health Task Force|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/Pollinator%20Health%20Strategy%202015.pdf|title=National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators|location=Washington, D.C.|publisher=[[The White House]]|date=19 May 2015 |access-date=2 May 2018}}</ref><ref name=Newswire>{{cite news|author=EP News Wire Reports|title=New U.S. pollinator strategy emphasizes science, industry collaboration |url=http://epnewswire.com/stories/510545740-new-u-s-pollinator-strategy-emphasizes-science-industry-collaboration |work=EPNewswire |date=19 May 2015|access-date=5 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930154848/http://epnewswire.com/stories/510545740-new-u-s-pollinator-strategy-emphasizes-science-industry-collaboration|archive-date=30 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> 

The national strategy laid out federal actions to achieve three goals:

{{blockquote|
* Honey Bees: Reduce honey bee colony losses during winter (overwintering mortality) to no more than 15% within 10 years.
* Monarch Butterflies: Increase the Eastern population of the monarch butterfly to 225 million butterflies occupying an area of approximately 15 acres (6 hectares) in the overwintering grounds in Mexico, through domestic/international actions and public-private partnerships, by 2020.
* Pollinator Habitat Acreage: Restore or enhance 7 million acres of land for pollinators over the next 5 years through Federal actions and public/private partnerships.<ref name=strategy/><ref name=Newswire/>}}

Many of the priority projects that the national strategy identified focused on the [[Interstate 35|I-35]] corridor, which extends for {{convert|1,500|mi|km}} from Texas to Minnesota. The area through which that highway travels provides spring and summer breeding habitats in the United States' key monarch migration corridor.<ref name=strategy/><ref name=Newswire/> 

The Pollinator Health Task Force simultaneously issued a "Pollinator Research Action Plan". The Plan outlined five main action areas, covered in ten subject-specific chapters. The action areas were: (1) Setting a Baseline; (2) Assessing Environmental Stressors; (3) Restoring Habitat; (4) Understanding and Supporting Stakeholders; (5) Curating and Sharing Knowledge.<ref name=Newswire/><ref>{{cite web|author=Pollinator Health Task Force|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/Pollinator%20Research%20Action%20Plan%202015.pdf|title=Pollinator Research Action Plan|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=1–3|publisher=[[The White House]]|date=19 May 2015|access-date=5 January 2024}}</ref>

In June 2016, the Task Force issued a "Pollinator Partnership Action Plan". That Plan provided examples of past, ongoing, and possible future collaborations between the federal government and non-federal institutions to support pollinator health under each of the national strategy's goals.<ref>{{cite web|author=Pollinator Health Task Force|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/images/Blog/PPAP_2016.pdf|title=Pollinator Partnership Action Plan|location=Washington, D.C.|publisher=[[The White House]]|date=22 June 2016 |access-date=5 January 2024}}</ref>

==== North America ====
The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) aims to promote pollinator health across the North America and has organized annual conferences since 1997, creates task forces to implement specific objectives that includes public education and policy research, and is developing strategic plans for conservation that looks to establish partnership between government entities. 11 pollinator-protection agreements have been signed between NAPPC and federal government agencies, responsible for more than 1.5 billion acres of land protections and management.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=NAPPC |url=https://www.pollinator.org/nappc |access-date=5 January 2024|website=Pollinator.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Europe ====
Along with the [[European Green Deal]], which contains initiatives that support pollinator populations, the European Union has implemented the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 which includes the EU Pollinators Initiative that sets long-term objectives to reverse pollinator decline in diversity and numbers by 2030. This initiative includes: (1) improving knowledge of pollinator decline, its causes and consequences; (2) tackling the causes of pollinator decline; and (3) raising awareness, engaging society-at-large and promoting collaboration.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Pollinators |url=https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/pollinators_en |access-date=20 February 2023 |website=European Commission}}</ref>

==== South America ====
The Healthy Hives Latin America 2020 (Salud Apícola 2020 Latinoamérica) program is a collaboration between the Bayer Bee Care Center and the Fraunhofer Chile Research Foundation, that works alongside local researchers at universities and beekeepers' associations. The program focuses on increasing the number of healthy worker bees and their colonies by monitoring honey bee health and the contributing factors. This includes educating beekeepers and research collaborations to jointly work on honey bee health. Founded in 2015 with a preliminary project in Chile, the program has expanded to Colombia, Argentina, and Costa Rica.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |title=Salud Apicola 2020 |url=https://en.saludapicola.com/ |access-date=22 February 2023 |website=Salud Apicola 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Global ====
The ‘Coalition of the Willing on Pollinators' (Promote Pollinators) was initiated in 2016 during the Convention on Biological Diversity's Conference of the Parties (CBD COP13) and is a growing alliance of countries and observers who support the notion that country-led politics can lead to policy measures and innovative action to protect pollinators'. Their supporters are growing steadily, in which 30 countries currently participate.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} Promote Pollinators |url=https://promotepollinators.org/ |access-date=21 February 2023|website=promotepollinators.org}}</ref>