Investeringsimpuls bestuivers (BO-20-003.03-001)

Pollinators are a prerequisite for sustainable food production. Many of our crops depend on pollination by insects to sustain a high production quantity and quality . In recent years, it has become clear that, apart from honeybees, a large diversity of wild pollinator species contributes to the delivery of these pollination services. Yet, while this shows that maintaining sufficient numbers and diversity of (wild) pollinators is important, both their numbers and species richness have dropped worldwide over the last decades. In line with the international Coalition of the willing on pollinators, the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs is working on a national pollinator strategy, aiming to ensure the enhancement and long term maintenance of pollinators in the Netherlands.
To provide scientific support to this strategy, a research programme has been started focusing on the development and dissemination of knowledge on the needs and protection of pollinators. Making knowledge available to those that invest in initiatives for pollinators is a key goal, to ensure that their contributions reach maximum effectiveness. “Learning networks”, in which initiators and scientists work together to test with implementation of specific measures at different spatial scales, are therefore the core of the programme. Additional research focuses, among other things, on an inventory of factors that promote or work against the success of new initatives for pollinator protection, and formulating clear guidelines for efficient development, maintenance and spatial context of habitat measures.