The Grocer – 17 August 2019

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Papa John’s has also switched its online charity part-

ner to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust from 15 July

to 1 September, in order to further raise awareness of

the issue.

Consumer awareness

Brands and retailers are ramping up their bee-friendly

e orts because shopper interest in biodiversity is ris-

ing, says British Honey sales director Oliver Williams.

Information about pollinator health is becoming more

readily available and “people are realising how impor-

tant bees are to the planet”.

“We are constantly thinking about ways that we can

get consumers involved, with seed packets and plant-

ing wild owers at home,” he adds. “And [this sort of

activity is] de nitely on the rise. It’s really impor-

tant because everyone knows bees are our main

pollinators.”

There was a spike in interest in March this year,

following the publication of a Centre for

Ecology & Hydrology-led paper on

widespread declines in wild polli-

nators. Catherine Jones, a pollinator

o cer at conservation charity Buglife,

adds there has been an increase in media cover-

age of insect health more generally over the past year

• and this is set to continue.

This rise in consumer interest means brands and

retailers have much to gain from making a stand on

bees, believe experts, whether by running consumer-

facing campaigns in the vein of Lidl Netherlands and

Delhaize or by taking action in the supply chain by

encouraging farmers to plant more  owers.

The government, too, is poised to increase its action

on bees. ‘For too long nature has been in decline at

home and abroad, putting wildlife at risk and under-

mining our economy and our wellbeing,’ it said in its

dra Environment Bill. The 25-year Environment Plan

is further expected to shine a spotlight on bees, promis-

ing to restore wild ower habitats and a build a ‘Nature

Recovery Network’. “We will have lots of legisla-

tion coming up when the Brexit issue is sorted

out,” believes Jones.

“The situation is pretty dire. We need pollina-

tors to provide the food we need, and if anybody

can do anything to help, that is fabulous,” she adds.

“Whether that’s individuals planting  owers in their

garden or farmers and food producers creating an agri-

cultural environment that’s good for pollinators, or

retailers and food producers considering pollinators

in their buying and selling operations.

“There is some action that individuals, the govern-

ment and retailers are doing, but as is always the case,

everybody could always do more to help.”

Types of pollinators

Bees

There are around 270
di erent species of bee
in the UK, according to
Friends of the Earth.
The majority of UK
honeybees live in hives
that are managed by
beekeepers. There are
also 24 di erent species
of bumblebee and around
250 species of solitary
bee. Every species of
bee can be an e ective
pollinator, and the
majority are in decline.

Moths

A study published last

year discovered that

moths may play a much

broader role as plant

pollinators than scientists

had previously thought,

pollinating many of the

same  owers by night

as bees and butter ies.

There are around 2,500

species present in the UK

and Ireland. But around

two-thirds of our moths

are in long-term decline,

according to Buglife.

B u t t e r  i e s

There are thought to be

59 species of butter y

in the UK. Around three

quarters of these are

in decline. Butter y-

pollinated  owers tend

to be pink or lavender

coloured, scented and

with large petals for

the butter y to land on,

according to the Pesticide

Action Network UK.

Although not as e cient

as bees, they can o en

travel larger distances.

Hover ies

There are around 280

species of hover y

native to the UK. They

are an example of

‘Batesian mimicry’,

where a harmless species

mimics a dangerous one.

Hover ies visit  owers

to feed on nectar and/or

pollen depending on the

species, therefore helping

pollinate these plants –

though they don’t tend

to be as e ective at

pollination as bees.

Wasps

There are more than

7,000 species of wasp

living in the UK and,

though their contribution

may not be as big as

bees, they still play

a valuable part as

specialist pollinators.

The relationship

between  gs and  g

wasps, for example,

is highly symbiotic.

Without one, the other

cannot complete its own

lifecycle.

“The situation

is pretty

dire. We need

pollinators to

provide food”

get consumers involved, with seed packets and plant-

ing wild owers at home,” he adds. “And [this sort of

activity is] de nitely on the rise. It’s really impor-

tant because everyone knows bees are our main

There was a spike in interest in March this year,

following the publication of a Centre for

Ecology & Hydrology-led paper on

widespread declines in wild polli-

nators. Catherine Jones, a pollinator

o cer at conservation charity Buglife,

adds there has been an increase in media cover-

age of insect health more generally over the past year

tors to provide the food we need, and if anybody

can do anything to help, that is fabulous,” she adds.

“Whether that’s individuals planting  owers in their

garden or farmers and food producers creating an agri-

cultural environment that’s good for pollinators, or

retailers and food producers considering pollinators

in their buying and selling operations.

“There is some action that individuals, the govern-

ment and retailers are doing, but as is always the case,

everybody could always do more to help.”