Global Pollination Project

FAO/UNEP/GEF Global Pollination Project on "Conservation and Management of Pollinators for Sustainable Agriculture, through an Ecosystem Approach".

Several highly localized crop pollination failures have brought pollination issues to the fore. With managed honeybee populations rapidly declining and more crops being grown under intensive systems, there is good reason to identify, in multiple agroecosystems and ecologies practices that will prevent the loss of pollination services. Unfortunately, the level of capacity to manage pollination services, and the public awareness of their importance is very low, both in traditional and modern societies.

Crop fields in flower in Ethiopia

Seven countries (Brazil, Ghana, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Nepal and South Africa) have been working with FAO on the development of a Full-sized UNEP/GEF project that will address the need to identify practices and build capacity in the management of pollination services. The development objective of the project is improved food security, nutrition and livelihoods through enhanced conservation and sustainable use of pollinators. The immediate objective is to harness the benefits of pollination services provided by wild biodiversity for human livelihoods and sustainable agriculture, through an ecosystem approach in selected countries.

The anticipated project outcomes are:

A consolidated knowledge base, integrating traditional and scientific knowledge established.
Good agricultural practices for pollinator conservation and sustainable use identified, tested, implemented, documented and promoted.
Enhanced capacity for conservation and sustainable use of pollinators developed.
Awareness of conservation and sustainable use of pollinators for the general public and for policymakers enhanced.

The project will show how the services of pollination can be conserved and used sustainably in agriculture through the application of the ecosystem approach. Project outcomes will be tested, evaluated and showcased in a set of representative farming systems in seven countries with a wide diversity of ecological zones and farming patterns. Through the development of good agricultural practices for pollination services, built on an extended knowledge base, capacity will be increased and awareness raised to promote wise management of pollinators and their services. The result will be a set of tools, methodologies, strategies and best management practices that can be applied to pollinator conservation efforts worldwide.

For further information about the project, please contact:GlobalAction-Pollination@fao.org