Nearly 40% of pollinating insect populations are now threatened in Europe. In response to this alarming decline, the European Commission is testing a new participatory initiative: an assembly of young citizens from all 27 Member States, brought together to work on this issue. Selected by lottery, these 100 young people, aged 18 to 29, will gather in Brussels to reflect, debate, and propose actionable solutions for the future of biodiversity. In this context, we spoke with James Moran, a lecturer in ecology and biology at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and a member of the assembly’s advisory committee, to explain the challenges of this initiative and the role that Europe’s younger generations can play in environmental governance.
Missions Publiques. Over the past ten years, what changes have you observed in pollinator populations, and what do you think has influenced this trend the most?
James Moran: Over the past 10 years there has been a continuation in the decline in pollinators that has been observed for at least 30 years. From multiple national monitoring programmes and research studies, there is now strong evidence of large declines in wild pollinator populations particularly in populations of bees, butterflies and moths. There are many other pollinator groups such as hoverflies that we have very limited data on, but it can be expected that a similar situation is true for these groups as they are subject to similar pressures. All pollinators suffer from a lack of availability of nesting and foraging sites due to land use change from agricultural intensification, abandonment and increasing urbanisation. Our food supply system is over-dependent on agrochemical inputs. Ironically, this could lead to catastrophic declines in pollination service. This is one of the key ecosystem services, and it sustains approximately 85% of crop species in the EU. Pressures on pollinators are exacerbated by climate change. In the last 10 years, we have seen increasing weather variability, which is severely impacting certain butterfly species.
Missions Publiques. There is several drivers of pollinator decline – from land use change, intensive agriculture, pesticide use and pollution, to climate change – which one should farmers tackle first, and how?
James Moran: This is a very difficult question as all these are interlinked. Many of the best actions to combat one of the threats will have co-benefits for the others, and one of the simplest answers is to leave some space for pollinators. For example, identifying areas of the farm that can be managed specifically to provide food and nesting resources for pollinators can lead to more targeted use of pesticides. The areas managed with pollinators in mind can also function as reservoirs for other beneficials insects that prey on crop pests, e.g., ladybirds feeding on aphids providing natural pest control, which reduces the need for pesticides. Over time, these areas can develop into semi-natural areas, which can contribute to climate action by capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil. We need to pay as much attention to how we manage these food production support areas in the landscape as we do to our core food production areas. Human food systems are dependent on an army of pollinators and other beneficial insects. So, our systems break down if pollinators don’t have places where they can feed and replenish themselves.
"Advocate for more space for nature in your local areas, and if you are lucky enough to manage a piece of land, no matter how small or large, leave some space for the pollinators that sustain us and future generations.
James Moran
Lecturer in Ecology and Biology at the Galway Institute of Technology
Missions Publiques. People often say an “over-tidy” field leaves little room for insects. How can we show farmers and consumers that keeping a patch of wildflowers is good for both the farm and the planet?
James Moran: This requires a mindset change in terms of what we consider well-managed. We need to open our eyes to see the patches of wildflowers as key components of our food system. We need to reconnect with the remarkable complexity of nature and understand that we will have very little food on our shelves without the wildflower patches that sustain pollinators.
Missions Publiques. If you could set a simple, concrete challenge for the 100 Assembly participants to help pollinators at home, what would it be, and why?
James Moran: I would set the challenge to take the time in busy schedules to open our eyes and minds to observe nature in our own local areas. The next time you walk past a patch of wildflowers, take a few moments to observe the buzz of pollinators around them, the pollinators gathering the food that sustain them. Advocate for more space for nature in your local areas, and if you are lucky enough to manage a piece of land, no matter how small or large, leave some space for the pollinators that sustain us and future generations.
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To learn more about the Young Citizens’ Assembly on Pollinators that we are supporting: click on our project sheet.
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To take part in the debate: visit the European Commission’s platform, right here.
