Via Pontica

Pesticide Action Network Europe, together with the member of the European Parliament, Radan Kanev, the organizations IBMA and IOBC-WPRS,  and Member of the Bulgarian Parliament Albena Simeonova Varbanova, invites you to an online symposium entitled ” Agroecological transition in Bulgaria: Integrated pest management with biocontrol as a foundation for reducing pesticide use in arable crops”.

PAN Europe is a non-governmental organization that works to minimize the negative effects and replace the use of hazardous chemicals with environmentally friendly alternatives. Its network brings together public health and environmental organizations and women’s groups from 19 European countries. It works to eliminate reliance on chemical pesticides and to maintain safe, sustainable methods of pest control.

OBC/WPRS is an international organization of progressive European researchers and other informed people, investigating the use of sustainable, environmentally safe, economically feasible, socially acceptable methods of pest and disease control in agricultural crops.

IBMA is an association of the biocontrol industries producing solutions: microorganisms, macro-organisms, semi-chemicals and natural plant protection products.

Date: March 6, 2023

Duration: 09:00 to 12:00 CET (10:00 – 13:00 EET)

Place: Online – Zoom platform

Language: direct translation into Bulgarian and English

With the participation of scientists and experts from Europe.

The talk will be about:

• Scientific evidence supporting the transition to agroecology.
• Correlation between biodiversity and yields.
• Increasing the application of Integrated Pest Management together with biocontrol, to significantly reduce the need for pesticide application.
• Tools that farmers can use in the transitional period.
• Experiences of farmers who successfully reduced the use of pesticides.

To ensure food safety, the necessity of establishing a sustainable food production system is of utmost importance. Conservation of natural resources – soil fertility and biodiversity restoration – are the absolute key to sustaining food production for future generations.

Programme:

The meeting will be chaired by David Cary

9.00 Start of the meeting

• Welcome by IBMA / PAN Europe
• Welcome by MEP Radan Kanev

9.10 Keynote speeches

• “Is a 2050 chemical pesticide-free world possible?” – Christian Huyghe, Scientific Director of Agriculture, INRAE
• Alignment of the Bulgarian NAP with the F2F pesticide reduction targets – Borislav Sandov, former Deputy Prime Minister for Climate Policies and former Minister of Environment

09:40 State of the environment and agricultural production

• Insects decline in correlation with yield stability – Prof. Daniela Atanasova Entomologist at Agriculture University of Plovdiv
• Agro-ecological transition in Bulgaria in practice – Prof. Nidal Shaban, University of Forestry

10:10  Ecological transition facilitated by biocontrol

• Biological control solutions and their benefits – their essential role for a complete agroecological transition working with nature – IBMA Executive Director, Jennifer Lewis, IBMA
• Experiences with agro-ecological solutions in conventional arable farming – Biobest Group Director Research & Development,  Felix Wäckers
• Results in pesticides reduction by using biocontrol – Amitiza, Svilen Smilenov, Bulgaria

10:55 Alternatives to chemical pesticides and tools to facilitate the transition in arable crops

• Policy tools helping farmers in transition to agroecology in maize production – Academic Researcher from University of Padua, Lorenzo Furlan
• Alternatives to synthetic pesticides in arable farming – Member of the Bulgarian Parliament, Albena Simeonova
• Alternatives to neonicotinoids in arable – Bulgarian Conventional Farmer, Yosif Delgyanski

11:45 Debate with participants

• Minister, MEPs, NGOs

11:55 Closing word – Martin Dermine, PAN Europe

SEE the FULL PROGRAM

Please, register on the Eventbrite page (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/agroecological-transition-in-bulgaria-tickets-553097518567). On Monday morning you will receive the link to join the symposium.

Feel free to share this information in your circles.

Banned pesticides found in fruit and vegetables from overseas in the pesticide test by GLOBAL 2000 and AK Upper Austria

The environmental organisation GLOBAL 2000 and the Chamber of Labour of Upper Austria have tested mangoes, pomegranates, sweet peas and green beans for pesticides.

Pesticide residues were found on more than three quarters of the products, in half of the cases even multiple contamination with up to seven different active substances. In addition to two cases where the legal maximum levels were exceeded, the testers also discovered several active substances that are banned in the EU.

Especially in the winter months, the products examined come from countries such as Kenya, Morocco, Brazil or Turkey. These countries are not subject to EU legislation and can therefore use pesticides that are banned in the EU. However, the inconsistent approach of the EU makes this situation very delicate: In the EU, pesticide active substances lose their authorisation if a risk to consumers or the environment cannot be ruled out (anymore). The EU then sets the legal maximum residue levels for all products to a minimum value, the so-called limit of detection (usually 0.01 mg/kg). For some foodstuffs imported from non-EU countries, however, alarmingly high maximum residue levels of up to 10 mg/kg are set.

Double standards of the EU

Waltraud Novak, pesticide expert at GLOBAL 2000, says: “The EU grants so-called import tolerances within the framework of trade agreements in order to ‘meet the requirements of international trade’. This allows countries where these pesticides – banned in the EU – are still allowed, to export their products to the EU. In this way, food containing harmful pesticides, from which consumers should be protected by the EU ban, can legally end up on European plates.

Novak continues: “An example of this double standard are the tested mangoes: The active ingredient Carbendazim found in our test is banned in the EU since several years because of its health effects. It can cause genetic defects, impair fertility and even harm the child in the womb. In mangoes, however, this pesticide has a maximum value of 0.5 mg/kg, so it is fifty times above the detection limit of 0.01 mg”.

Health must come before profit

Novak also points to the effects outside the EU: “Workers in the producing countries have to handle those highly dangerous substances – often with inadequate protective equipment. We also found pesticides, which are banned in the EU, in green beans and sugar snap peas from Kenya.

GLOBAL 2000 and the Chamber of Labour of Upper Austria are therefore calling on Health Minister Johannes Rauch to take action at EU level to ensure that pesticides that are harmful to health do not end up on our plates via detours. No import tolerances for dangerous substances into the EU!

What can consumers do?

Novak recommends consumers to pay attention to seasonality and regionality when shopping: “Seasonal, regional products are usually less contaminated with pesticides. However, only products from organic farming are really safe, as no synthetic chemical pesticides are used in organic farming.

Consumers can also find out about the current pesticide contamination of fruit and vegetables, for example at www.billa.at/prp.

There, the supermarket chain Billa, in cooperation with GLOBAL 2000, regularly publishes the results of its in-house residue controls. Every week, random samples of the entire fresh fruit and vegetable assortment are tested for pesticide residues in accredited laboratories and the results are published on the homepage.

Sign GLOBAL 2000’s petition for rapid implementation of EU pesticide reduction at https://www.global2000.at/pestizid-reduktion-fordern

Pesticid test_banned pesticides_230215 en-GB

World Wetlands Day is celebrated on the second day of February every year.

What are wetlands?

Land areas that are saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally.

Inland wetlands:

Marshes, lakes, rivers, floodplains, peatlands and swamps.

Coastal wetlands:

Saltwater marshes, estuaries, mangroves, lagoons and coral reefs.

Human-made wetlands:

Fish ponds, rice paddies and salt pans.

Wetlands are among the most important types of ecosystems. Their functions and services are essential for human lives and biodiversity.

Statement by Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands:

„Wherever land meets water, life abounds. Wetlands exist in every corner of this beautiful planet and are the arteries and veins of the landscape. Majestic and mighty, wetlands are a sight to behold.

World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on 2nd of February. The commemoration raises awareness and increases people’s understanding of the critical importance of wetlands. Wetlands support critical ecosystems and biodiversity. 40 percent of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands.

Wetlands are rich in nature and vital to human life. They are crucial to agriculture and fisheries. They act as water sources, purifiers and protect our shores. Wetlands are the planet’s greatest natural carbon stores.

To date, nearly 90 percent of the world’s wetlands have been degraded or lost. We are losing wetlands three times faster than forests. There is an urgency to raise global awareness on wetlands to arrest and reverse their rapid loss and encourage actions to restore and conserve these vital ecosystems.

The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands invites you to join the World Wetlands Day celebrations on 2nd February 2023; it is now recognized by the UN as an “International Day”. The theme for the day is ‘It’s ‘Time for Wetland Restoration’. With only seven years left until 2030 for us to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, time is of the essence for sure.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a great opportunity for all of us to rethink and change how humans impact the environment – and a chance to restore vital ecosystems like wetlands. Through activating all the relevant players from the general public to key stakeholders, we’re mobilizing an entire generation for wetland restoration.

For World Wetlands Day 2023, we’re calling on you to take action in three specific ways:

• Conscious choices to minimize our own impact on wetlands
• Persuasive voices to educate and activate others to get involved in wetland restoration
• Bold actions and taking part in wetland restoration efforts locally

Governments and other stakeholders are critical actors towards ensuring wetland restoration actions are being implemented on the ground. Three actions that can spearhead these restoration efforts include:

• Creating a national inventory of wetlands
• Setting specific targets for wetland restoration
• Promoting wise use and good management practices

Be a part of the solution by influencing change and sharing your stories of conservation and restoration efforts with us from your countries and communities.“

In October 2020, the European Commission published a Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, which aims to reduce human and environmental exposure to hazardous chemicals, while enhancing the competitiveness and innovation of European industry. This strategy, adopted by the European Parliament in July 2020, responds to the “Zero Pollution” ambition of the Green Pact for Europe.

The project is facing some opponents, including senior members of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung or Bfr), who argue that the toxicological risks of chemicals have already been minimized and are optimally regulated by the European Union.

In an article published on January 5, 2023, Erik Millstone, professor emeritus of science policy at the University of Sussex, and Peter Clausing, toxicologist and administrator of Justice Pesticides, explain the reasons for reinforcing the European Union’s regulation of chemicals, even though it is the most advanced in the world, based on the presentation of its limitations and on their intention to prioritize the protection of public health and the environment over commercial interests.

The limits contained in the current regulation are, for example :

(i) Taking into account the possible combination effects between multiple chemicals in the risk assessment. This assessment is limited to the cumulative effects of oral exposure to pesticides on only two endpoints, namely acute effects on the nervous system and chronic effects on the thyroid. In addition, combination effects under different routes of exposure (e.g., inhalation and/or dermal) and chemicals other than pesticides/biocides are not yet included.

(ii) The large uncertainties about the validity of extrapolative inferences from animal studies to human risks.

As they point out, “Chemical risk assessment policy decision-making operates in a contestable and often contested space because different groups of stakeholders have different and often conflicting interests”. And, the commercial interests that most guide chemical risk assessment policy today like to pretend to act in accordance with scientific considerations, when in fact they are value-judgmental, as the study criticized here from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment illustrates.

Their article, by crossing the views of the philosopher and the toxicologist, participates in the challenge of transforming the promises of the European Commission into real legislative changes.

Justice Pesticides

justicepesticides.org

European Union: “Save the bees and the farmers” will be the 7th European Citizens’ Initiative.

European Union: “Save the bees and the farmers. Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment“ has reached the one million mark in declarations of support from European citizens, as the European Commission admitted on October 10.

It is thus 3 years after its registration that the Commission is finally required to consider new legislation including the objective carried by the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), namely to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, to restore biodiversity and to help farmers during this transition phase.

The validation of the initiative paved the way for a strict timetable to be followed. First, the Commission received on November 25 the leaders of the ECI save bees and farmers to discuss the initiative in detail. Then, within three months, the ECI will be presented at a public hearing in the European Parliament.

Finally, the Commission has until April 7, 2023 to present its formal response, outlining what action it intends to take: propose legislation, take other non-legislative measures, or take no action at all.

While the ECI obliges the Commission to seriously consider the requests of European citizens, it is not obliged to act on them. The organizers will have no recourse against it.

We strongly hope that the European authorities will be supportive of these public health and environmental issues.

Justice Pesticides

justicepesticides.org

An Open letter addressed to the members of the PAFF committee and the Commission as chair, in advance of the PAFF meeting this week. The letter is signed by 58 organisations across Europe, including trade unions (representing agriculture workers), environmental, health and beekeeper organisations (including the organisers of the European Citizens Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers”), as well as the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming.

 The letter says:

Dear representatives of national governments, members of the PAFF Committee,

Dear Chair of the PAFF Committee,

We are writing on behalf of 58 organisations across Europe in view of the next PAFF Committee meeting on 14-15 July when you will discuss the draft Commission Implementing Regulation under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 on “the content and format of the records of the use of plant protection products to be kept by professional users in accordance with Article 67(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009” (see Agenda, item C.01).

First of all, we would like to state that we welcome the agreement reached on the new regulation on agricultural input and output statistics (SAIO), in particular the obligation to collect and publish data on the use of pesticides on an annual basis. Evidence of unacceptable harm from extensive pesticide use, whether to biodiversity,1 or to agricultural workers, is piling up.Keeping track of what pesticides are used where when and how is therefore of utmost importance.

Beyond the need to analyse trends in the use of pesticides, precise and public data on pesticides use are also indispensable to enabling more realistic analysis of the exposure of agriculture workers and residents in rural areas, as well as the exposure of wildlife and ecosystems. Such data are also key to monitoring water, notably for drinking water suppliers. They are crucial for many other necessary tasks that are in the public interest. It is, in addition, a topic of great importance to millions of EU citizens. The issue of pesticides was indeed the subject matter of the recent European Citizens’ Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers” which gathered approximately 1.2 million signatures across Europe. That is why, as trade unions, environmental, health and beekeeper organisations including the organisers of the European Citizens Initiative Save Bees and Farmers, as well as the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming, we have been following closely the negotiations on the new regulation on the Statistics for Agriculture Input and Output (SAIO) with a particular focus on pesticide use data. As explained in multiple open letters and public statements, it was already clear in 1993 that public authorities needed meaningful data on pesticide use to be able to protect people and the environment properly. On the basis of the outcome of the trilogue, we believe the new SAIO regulation has the potential to lead to much improved pesticide use data.

However, according to the text agreed, the annual collection of pesticide use data will only start in 2028 and if an Implementing Regulation harmonising the content and format of the pesticide use records is adopted. This is a major factor of uncertainty of the SAIO reform that now has to be fxed in the context of the PAFF Committee. The Commission has prepared an informal draft Implementing Regulation which will be presented on 13-14 July. Furthermore, the Commission has committed to follow a strict timeline. This timeline is laid out in the attached document we obtained following an access to document request to the Secretariat of the Council (see Annex).

The SAIO reform and its ability to fnally deliver robust pesticide use data is now in the hands of the PAFF Committee. It is the moment for national governments to show to their citizens that they are serious about improving the quality and availability of pesticide use data and protecting the health of people and the environment against pesticides.

We therefore call on:

1. Each national government represented in the PAFF Committee to adhere to the Commission’s timeline, i.e. cooperate in good faith to ensure that the draft Implementing Regulation is formally adopted by the end of 2022.
2. The European Commission to adhere to the timeline set out in the attached statement, as well as publish without delay the latest version of the draft Implementing Regulation in order to allow civil society to review this draft and participate in a constructive manner to this important decision making process. Thank you for your consideration. Yours sincerely,

    

   Alice Bernard Senior Law and Policy Advisor, Chemicals, ClientEarth

   Natalija Svrtan Campaigner, PAN Europe

   Helmut Burtscher-Schaden Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Austria, GLOBAL 2000

See the entire Open Letter HERE : Call to adopt without delay the Implementing Regulation …

https://www.env-health.org › uploads › 2022/07

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5 in order to raise awareness about degrading environmental conditions and protection of the environment.

World Environment Day has been a platform for raising awareness on environmental issues such as marine pollution, overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption, and wildlife crime.The

Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), environmentalists encourage people to take positive actions and to help create a better future. This year marks the 50th year of the World Environment Day.

History

The idea of ‘World Environment Day’ was first introduced at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment – also known as the Stockholm conference in 1972. The conference had become the first world  forum to have ‘environment’ on its agenda. Along with the day, the conference saw the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme. First held in 1973, the day is a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually. Each year, the program has provided a theme and forum to advocate environmental causes. A different country hosts the day every year.

Theme

Being hosted by Sweden this year, the slogan for the World Environment day 2022 is “Only One Earth”. The theme is set to focus on “living sustainably in harmony with nature.”

United General Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for World Environment Day said, “It is vital we safeguard the health of its atmosphere, the richness and diversity of life on Earth, its ecosystems, and its finite resources. But we are failing to do so.”

He further added, “We are asking too much of our planet to maintain ways of life that are unsustainable. This planet is our only home.”

Statement of 76 organisations on the state of play of the negotiations on the revision of EU rules on pesticides statistics

The undersigned organisations express their deep concerns about the direction the negotiations within trilogues are taking on the reform of the agriculture statistics regulation (SAIO).[1] We call upon the Member States to support the European Parliament’s proposals ensuring precise data on the use of pesticides are collected and published without further delay.

To ensure that European agriculture shifts away from pesticide intensive practices, we need precise public data on what pesticides are used where, when, on which crops and in what quantities. Such data would indeed:

• Allow to measure meaningfully the progress and identify which sectors or crops and in which regions are facing difficulties to transition to sustainable agriculture practices;
• Enable the work of independent scientists and the medical community to connect the dots between exposure to specific pesticides or a cocktail thereof and harm to the environment and/or people;
• Enable the work of the public authorities to check whether the data submitted for pesticides authorisations actually matches the reality of their use;
• Enable public authorities to list more efficiently which pesticides end up in water and must therefore be monitored, so that they can take appropriate measures to protect, for example, residents of rural areas, and biodiversity;
• Rebuild trust of EU citizens in national governments, the EU institutions, and their willingness to protect public health and the environment despite the weight of private interests such as the agrochemical lobbies.

This trust of EU citizens is currently broken because it is obvious today that pesticide use and their risks for human health and the environment are out of control. Our legal system was meant to only allow pesticides that have i) no immediate or delayed harmful effect on human health ii) no unacceptable effects on plants and iii) no unacceptable effects on the environment.[2] Unfortunately, the way this authorisation system has been applied in practice raises very serious doubts as to the safety of the pesticides products on the EU market.[3] The evidence of unacceptable harm to biodiversity,[4] and to frontline workers – agriculture workers – is piling up.[5] This system does not even benefit economically the farmers themselves,[6] and alternatives to pesticide intensive agriculture exist and are feasible.[7]

In light of the proven impact of pesticides on public health and the environment, and the need to switch to alternative models of agriculture, the scarce amount of data on pesticide use collected and published is incomprehensible.[8] California has put in place a comprehensive and public database on this matter already in the 90s.[9] What is even more surprising is that the data exist but are left unexploited by public authorities. Indeed, farmers, and all other professional users of pesticides, are obliged – and have been obliged for more than 10 years – to keep at the disposal of public authorities records of the pesticides they use.[10] And yet, these records are not systematically collected. To access these records, the public – e.g. doctors, scientists, a union of agriculture workers or a water supply company, have no choice but to follow a lengthy and heavy procedure, which often requires going to court.

In light of the latest public information,[11] the negotiations seem to be progressing in a more positive direction. However, many key aspects are still extremely concerning and unclear. More specifically:

• While we welcome the recognition by the French Presidency of the need to have yearly data on pesticide use as well as an electronic collection of the farmers’ records, we are deeply concerned by the compromise text proposed as it does not guarantee that the farmers’ records will be collected soon enough. Indeed, the first year this data would be collected would be 2028, i.e. in 6 Meanwhile, irreversible damages to people’s health and biodiversity are bound to occur due to out of control pesticide exposure.
• There is also even a high risk that these records will actually never be collected, since this will depend on the harmonisation of a digital format to be decided in a separate procedure (implementing act under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009) without any time constraints or possibility for the European Parliament to have a say.
• While waiting for 2028, the compromise proposed suggests having only one survey (in 2026). This is insufficient to provide a clear picture of progress towards the reduction targets set for 2030 in the Farm to Fork Strategy. In addition, such a survey is only going to cover a selection of common crops between Member States and will only be defined later (via implementing acts) in a procedure in which the European Parliament will have no say.
• Finally, while we welcome the recognition that the rules on access to documents and on access to environmental information remain fully applicable, the legal text proposed regarding the dissemination of the data leaves too much room for interpretation. It does not offer the necessary legal certainty that the data on all pesticide use and sales will actually be published per active substance in full compliance with the rules on access to environmental information.

In short, if the compromise text on these aspects became law, the data collected on pesticide use will be too little, too late, with a concerning uncertainty as to what will actually be published.

We, therefore, call on the negotiators, and in particular the Council, to take into account these concerns, and specifically to:

1. Shorten the transition period for the first digital collection of all farmers’ records for all crops – to Speed is a matter of commitment and investment of national governments. This investment is long overdue: the need for pesticide use data was already acknowledged in 1993[12];
2. Make the annual collection of the farmers’ records mandatory in the SAIO text. This collection shall be done by the national authorities in charge of the implementation of the pesticides regulation;
3. Create an obligation for the Commission to adopt – by delegated act under SAIO – before 1^st January 2023, the harmonised electronic format of the farmers’ records; At the very least, if this electronic format is to be defined under an implementing act under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, this act shall then be adopted before July 2022;
4. Adopt a provision on the dissemination of the data on pesticide use and sales similar to what the Parliament proposed stating explicitly and upfront what level of details will be published. It is essential that the data be published per active substance, area treated (ha) and per crop.

We also reiterate our concerns in relation to points that, to our knowledge, have not been discussed yet in the trilogues:

• Data on pesticide use at least at the regional level (NUTS3) are key for the data to be useful. The data also needs to be sorted between pesticides used in organic farming and those used in conventional farming;
• There are too many potential derogations in the Commission Proposal which could limit unduly the information transmitted to Eurostat regarding pesticides. These derogations or exemptions shall not apply to pesticide data since the data has been available for 10 years and their collection is long overdue.

For a truly modern and sustainable agriculture, governments must invest in the relevant data systems and put these data in the public domain where they belong. This cannot wait until 2028.

List of signatories:

[1] Proposal for a Regulation related to statistics on agriculture input and output (SAIO): https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2021/0020(COD)&l=en

[2] See Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009

[3] European Journal of Risk Regulation , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , September 2020 , pp. 450 – 480 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/err.2020.18;   Impacts des produits phytopharmaceutiques sur la biodiversité et les services écosystémiques : résultats de l’expertise scientifique collective INRAE-Ifremer | INRAE INSTIT

[4] Goulson, D. Pesticides linked to bird declines. Nature 511, 295–296 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13642

[5] LeMonde, “Agriculteurs intoxiqués”: dans toute l’Europe, les maladies des pesticides abandonnés à leur sort, S. Horel, 17 February 2022 l

[6] Pesticides: a model that’s costing us dearly – Le Basic

[7] Poux and Aubert (2018) An agroecological Europe in 2050: multifunctional agriculture for healthy eating, IDDRI: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335054821_An_agroecological_Europe_in_2050_multifunctional_agriculture_for_healthy_eating_Findings_from_the_Ten_Years_For_Agroecology_TYFA_modelling_exercise

[8] Only very vague data are  collected and published – see  : https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-datasets/-/aei_pestuse

[9] Wilhoit, History of Pesticide Use Reporting in California, Chapter 1pp 3-14, ACS Symposium Series Vol. 1283 – see ACS Symposium Series (ACS Publications)

[10] Article 67 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009

[11] The latest 4 column document published in the Council register on 23 May 2022 : pdf (europa.eu)

[12] See 5th Environment Action Programme that already defined as target “reduction of chemical inputs”; it also specifically set as an objective “the significant reduction in pesticides use per unit of land under production […] » by 2000 and foresaw as an actions: “registration of sales and use of pesticides”: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/action-programme/env-act5/pdf/5eap.pdf

For centuries bees, among the hardest working creatures on the planet, have benefited people, plants and the environment. By carrying pollen from one flower to another, bees and other pollinators enable not only the production of an abundance of fruits, nuts and seeds, but also more variety and better quality, contributing to food security and nutrition.

Pollinators such as bees, birds and bats, affect 35 percent of the world’s crop production, increasing outputs of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide, plus many plant-derived medicines. Three out of four crops across the globe producing fruits or seeds for human use as food depend, at least in part, on pollinators.

Bee engaged – Celebrating the Diversity of Bees and Beekeeping Systems

Beekeeping is a widespread and global activity, with millions of beekeepers depending on bees for their livelihoods and well-being. Together with wild pollinators, bees play a major role in maintaining biodiversity, ensuring the survival and reproduction of many plants, supporting forest regeneration, promoting sustainability and adaptation to climate change, improving the quantity and quality of agricultural productions.

This year FAO celebrates World Bee Day through a virtual event, under the theme ‘Bee Engaged: Celebrating the diversity of bees and beekeeping systems’

The event featuring bee and pollinator experts and practitioners from across the world is open with a video message by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. The event raises awareness on the importance of the wide variety of bees and sustainable beekeeping systems, the threats and challenges they face and their contribution to livelihoods and food systems.

https://vod.fao.org/video/20220520-NSA-Zoom-en.mp4

The event is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian languages.

Why a World Bee Day?

By observing World Bee Day each year, we can raise awareness on the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy, and on the many challenges they face today. We have been celebrating this day since 2018, thanks to the efforts of the Government of Slovenia with the support of Apimondia, that led the UN General Assembly to declare 20 May as World Bee Day.

The date for this observance was chosen as it was the day Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern apiculture, was born. Janša came from a family of beekeepers in Slovenia, where beekeeping is an important agricultural activity with a long-standing tradition.

Today bees, pollinators, and many other insects are declining in abundance. This day provides an opportunity for all of us – whether we work for governments, organizations or civil society or are concerned citizens – to promote actions that will protect and enhance pollinators and their habitats, improve their abundance and diversity, and support the sustainable development of beekeeping.

Timeline Leading to World Bee Day

20 May 1734 – Breznica, Slovenia Birth of Anton Janša, who came from a long line of beekeepers, became a pioneer of modern apiculture. Bees were a frequent topic of conversation with neighbouring farmers, who would gather at the village and discuss farming and bee-keeping practices.

1766 – Anton enrolled in the first bee-keeping school in Europe.

1769 – Janša worked fulltime as a beekeeper.

1771 – Published the book Discussion on Bee-keeping in German.

2016 – At the FAO Regional Conference for Europe, the Republic of Slovenia proposed World Bee Day to be celebrated on 20 May each year, with the support of Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Association.

2017 – Proposal for World Bee Day was submitted for consideration at the 40th Session of FAO Conference.

2017 – UN General Assembly unanimously proclaimed 20 May as World Bee Day.

20 May 2018 – First Observance of World Bee Day.

fao.org

Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Saving the Bees 
https://www.ecowatch.com/save-the-bees-guide-2655304561.html

On the occasion of the 30^th anniversary of the creation of the Natura 2000 network, the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius announced the winners of the 2022 edition of the Natura 2000 Awards. The six winners include projects from Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Portugal, Spain and a cross-border project from Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

The Natura 2000 Awards recognise conservation success stories across the EU and raises awareness about one of Europe’s outstanding achievements – the Natura 2000 network of protected areas.

In addition to conservation on land, communication, socio-economic benefits, and cross-border cooperation, this year the Awards are handed out to an additional category – Marine Conservation. This is to raise the profile of the many important efforts going on all around the Union to step up protection for marine and coastal species and habitats. Furthermore, the Citizens’ Award goes to the winner of the online vote.

Commissioner Sinkevičius said:

Protecting and restoring the EU’s natural heritage and biodiversity is crucial to mitigate and adapt to climate change while preserving life on Earth for generations to come. For the last 30 years, thousands of conservation professionals, volunteers and stakeholders have worked to protect and restore nature, preserving the benefits it brings. These people have made the network the success it is today.  In competitions, the trophy always goes to one, but we should all feel winners today because, when nature is protected, the benefits are there for all of us.

Natura 2000 is an EU wide network of nearly 27 000 protected sites that covers more than 18% of EU land territory and about 9% of its marine areas. The aim of the network is to ensure the long-term survival of our most valuable and threatened species and habitats. It is also the result of a unique process of cooperation between stakeholders at national levels, and among EU Member States, which demonstrate the value of EU cooperation. The good management of the network is at the core of the ambitious protection and restoration targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030which aims to put biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030, with benefits for people, climate and the planet.

About the winners:

This year, the European Citizen’s Award went to the project “Flora—Empowering Conservation Entrepreneurs in Austria”, led by the Blühendes Österreich and Birdlife Austria. The project aimed to secure long term management of high nature value farmland in Natura 2000 sites in Austria through the creation of specially-created partnerships with NGOs, communities and farmers, “the conservation entrepreneurs”. These areas are key to ensure the health of agroecosystems, which are vital for agricultural production and food security. The partnerships received financial support, technical advice and zoological-botanical monitoring to implement flagship projects. Over seven years FLORA supported 28 nature conservation projects, resulting in the enlargement and improvement of 19 protected habitat types and hundreds of species.

The winners in the other five categories are:

The Conservation on Land Award went to the project “Adaptation of Eleonora’s falcon to climate change” led by the University of Patras in Greece. This EU LIFE-funded ElClimA project implemented a range of actions aimed to facilitate Eleonora’s Falcon adaptation to climate change focusing on the improvement of its breeding performance over seven Natura 2000 sites. These actions included a rat eradication programme to prevent egg predation, installing artificial nests for optimal egg temperature regulation, and ensuring food sources from passerine birds by planting fruit trees, bushes and cereals to increase stopover times. The actions resulted in an impressive 42% increase in breeding success of the Eleanora’s falcons across the seven sites.

The Bulgarian communication campaign “Natura 2000 in Bulgaria: new horizons”, implemented by Green Balkans, won the Communication Award. This high-profile communication initiative funded by the EU LIFE Programme sought to raise awareness about the Natura 2000 network in Bulgaria using flagship species and habitats to communicate key aspects of Natura 2000. The estimated outreach is 4.5 million people through its work. The campaign produced and distributed audio, visual and written content through online streams, daily and weekly newsletters and a YouTube channel. National events and webinars were also organised. These efforts have resulted in nature-related issues receiving more attention in the media, and in the public as a whole.

The Socio-Economic Benefits Award, which recognises initiatives that demonstrate that nature conservation and economic development can go hand-in-hand, went to “Social inclusion and managing invasive alien species”. This project, led by the AMICA association and supported by the EU LIFE funding programme, aimed to eradicate pampas grass from five coastal Natura 2000 sites in Cantabria in Spain, while also addressing the serious difficulties faced by people with disabilities in entering the labor market. The project employed 22 people with disabilities to remove the invasive grass and replant natural vegetation, encouraging capacity building and social integration in addition to habitat conservation. In addition to the employees, a further 40 people with disabilities gained experience through volunteer activities.

The Marine Conservation Award went to the achievements of “Fishermen and seabirds, allies for the sea”, implemented by SPEA – Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves. This initiative, funded by the EU LIFE Programme and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, addressed the threats to seabirds posed by commercial fishing nets or hooks, by developing various mitigation measures. Through working closely with fishermen, one a device was developed which is highly effective in reducing bird by-catch. This device, dubbed the “scary bird decoy” scared seabirds away from fishing equipment and significantly reduced the number of birds caught in the gear. As the device is simple to use and highly effective, all fishermen involved in the trial continue to use it, and further work is being done to extend its use to other fishing vessels.

“Evaluate the dark side with the CaveLife app”, led by the German Speleological Federation, won the Cross Border Cooperation and Networking Award. The project developed the CaveLife smartphone app, which allows amateur cavers to contribute to the assessment of underground habitats and species by uploading data to a centralized database. Few official assessments of underground habitats exist, and this application allows hundreds of volunteer speleologists across Europe to contribute to building a database of cave knowledge. This data can then be used by conservation authorities to make more informed decisions in their work. The app is available in English and German and is already being used in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland; a French version of the app is being developed.

Background

The Award is open to anyone directly involved in management of or communication about the EU’s Natura 2000 network – businesses, government bodies, NGOs, volunteers, land owners/users, educational institutions or individuals. This year, a total of 40 applications from across Europe were received, out of which 21 projects were shortlisted. A high-level jury then selected the winners.

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