Grocer and Registrant Team Up for Bees
In the U.K., the bumblebee population has been in steady decline over the past 30 years and recent research shows their populations are down by a worrying 70 percent. Already three of the 25 species traditionally found in the U.K. have become extinct and conservationists fear several more are in imminent danger if action is not taken quickly. In response, Sainsbury's and Syngenta are working with their growers to implement a nationwide project known as Operation Bumblebee. The project will involve the training of over 300 of Sainsbury's farmers and growers, who farm in excess of 80,000 hectares of farmland across the U.K. The project's aim is to grow vital pollen and nectar rich habitats on their farms, which in turn will hopefully result in the number of bumblebees increasing by many millions over the next three summers.
As well as increasing the population of bumblebees, other wildlife, including butterflies, bugs, farmland birds and small mammals will also benefit. The program may also help many beneficial insects such as labybirds that have a positive effect in reducing pest numbers in field crops. Currently there are over 500 growers involved in the project with some 600 hectares of seed mix being sown across the U.K.
Sainsbury's and Syngenta are working closely with farmers and growers encouraging them to establish new habitats for bumblebees on their farms by sowing and managing field boundaries and other uncropped areas within their fields. Using a unique seed mix, these new habitats will produce a selection of plants and wild flowers which deliver a consistent supply of pollen and nectar vital for bumblebees to thrive. The project will train farmers and growers in the new skills required to manage the habitat. This follows a successful pilot project, which included Marshalls Bros, one of Sainsbury's largest green vegetable suppliers, and it is based on five years of scientific research by Syngenta to create the ideal environment for bumblebees to prosper. George Reid, a potato and brassica grower for Sainsbury's said: “We are really excited about this project. We have already seen an increase in bumblebees as our seed mix starts to flower. We will continue to sow the seed mix until the first week in September - and we look forward to seeing many more bumblebees at work in our fields by this time next year.”
Debbie Winstanley, Sainsbury's bumblebee ambassador said: “Sainsbury's customers care about the environment in which their food is grown and at a very small cost this project demonstrates how sustainable, profitable food production and a vibrant countryside can sit side by side.” Geoff Coates of Syngenta who manages Operation Bumblebee said, “We are delighted to be working with Sainsbury's on this exciting project which will hopefully halt the decline of our bumblebee populations.” Operation Bumblebee is one of many projects Sainsbury's is looking at to support rural and farming communities across the U.K. and creates valuable environmental habitats to encourage biodiversity. (FarmingUK, 7/4/07).
