Living Lab leader: Annemarie Dekker, CLM Research and Advice
Butterfly project
Butterfly is a EU-financed Horizon-project in which 24 partners from 12 European countries work together. CLM Research and Advice is one of the partners. The capital letters CLM stand for the original name of this knowledge institution: Center for Agriculture and the Environment.
The four-year project will provide strategies to halt the alarming decline of wild pollinating insects and work towards pollinator recovery. A key to recovery lies in research that provides a better understanding of the plant-pollinator networks and our dependence on them, whilst identifying the risks of pollinator decline and the resulting cascading effects as well.
Living labs
The research is concentrated in six Living Labs in Europa. Parts of the research are also carried out in three overseas territories. In de Living Labs, an approach for restoring pollinator habitats is being developed through area-based collaboration. Stakeholders are invited to participate. They can contribute information for research, but also have the opportunity to participate in the co-creation and testing of tools for environmental and landscape improvements. For an environmental approach, each Lab has chosen one target crop, grown for food, materials or energy.
Reversing pollinator decline
Currently, one in three wild bee, butterfly, and hoverfly species is declining in Europe, and one in ten wild bee and butterfly species is threatened with extinction. The European Union’s Biodiversity Strategy 2030 stipulates that the tide must be turned by 2030.
Pollinators play a key role in our natural environment and in our agricultural landscapes. They are indicative of ecosystem health and crucial for agricultural production and food security. 84% of crops and 78% of wild plant species are, at least partially, dependent on pollination. These crops and wild flora are essential not only for food production but also for materials, energy, medicines, and personal care products.
Application and dissemination
The goal of the research is to develop an approach in the Living Labs, together with local stakeholders, that will be implemented during and after the project’s duration. The Living Labs will hopefully lead to further dissemination to other areas.