The beauty and biodiversity of the UK countryside, along with the productivity and quality of the nation’s £100bn food industry, are significantly dependent upon the abundance and sustainability of pollinating insect numbers. Approximately 75% of the world’s food crops are at least partially reliant upon pollination, as are nearly 90% of all wild flowering plants (IBES, 2017). Whilst there are at least 1500 species of pollinating insects in the UK, a loss in flower rich habitats attributable to the intensification of agriculture, rapid industrial development and urbanisation, has led to a marked decline in the profusion of pollinators. Indeed, the UK has lost 20 species of bee since the 1900s and a further 35 are considered under threat (Friends of the Earth).
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