Neil Carmichael, Stroud MP: Pollinator insects crucial for our crops

POLLINATION is critically important to our wildlife, agriculture and ecosystems. The process involves the movement of pollen between the male (anthers) and female (stigma) parts of flowers, and is performed by wild bees, flies, butterflies, beetles and honeybees. It is, therefore, sensible to ensure there is an adequate population of these various insects.

There are several reasons why insect pollinators are so valuable. In terms of food production, they help to improve the yield and quality of fruit and vegetable crops, including apples, strawberries, beans and oilseed rape. As fruit and even biofuel crops become more popular, the value of the pollinators increases still further; they are, essentially, real workers in fields and our gardens.

It is not just a local problem. Globally, pollinators are, in part, responsible for 78 per cent of temperate wild flowering plant species, meaning that they play a pivotal part in the food chain in most continents (obviously, for instance, Antarctica has a different ecosystem).

Diversity of pollinators matters. Basically, different crops (and plants) are pollinated by different insects so variety must be encouraged. A good example are beans which, predominantly, rely on wild bumblebees for pollination. I grow broad beans every year and I always notice this particular feature of the season. More seriously, some plants rely on just a few pollinators so the plants, themselves, are at risk if their pollinators are absent.

The threats to pollinators come in different forms. Without diversification in agriculture, some pollinators are, effectively, driven out so, to enhance diversity, crop rotation, and, increasingly, wildlife corridors and protected areas, are encouraged. A key requirement to help our understanding and research is to collect more data about the numbers of different pollinators in defined areas.

A number of policy areas need to be monitored. Clearly, more insect-friendly habitats would help but even subtle changes in agricultural and gardening practices can have a positive impact. Hedgerow cutting, for instance, could be reduced. The use of chemicals should always be informed by concern about pollinators and this was a strong theme of the Environmental Audit Committee when I sat on it during the last Parliament.