The right balance of wild and managed pollinators is important to ensuring access to quality, nutritious foods. However, land use changes like urbanization, the intensification of agriculture and improper pesticide use have negatively affected local pollinator populations in different parts of the world.

In a world where weeds, pests and disease threaten crops, pesticides are an important tool for farmers to be able to deliver successful harvests. However, the success of many crops also depends on sufficient pollination from insects like bees. Protecting crops and ensuring bee safety is not an ‘either-or’ option; they need to go hand in hand. To support that critical relationship we conduct extensive testing, risk assessment, and stewardship measures to optimize crop protection and protect pollinators.

Crop protection products are among the most heavily regulated products in any industry. They require extensive environmental safety testing to ensure they will not pose any unreasonable risks to wildlife, plants, and the environment. Each new crop protection product requires many years of testing to meet the highest standards of safety, at a cost of hundreds of millions of euros, before it can be used.

How we evaluate our progress

To ensure the safety of our products for honey bees and other pollinators, we begin with laboratory tests and move successful candidates to field studies to evaluate potential risks. In our system, only products that pass all of our rigorous criteria can be considered for commercialization.