Emerging threats and opportunities to managed bee species in European agricultural systems: a horizon scan

Bryony K Willcox¹, Simon G Potts², Mark J F Brown³, Anne Alix⁴, Yahya Al Naggar^{5

6

7}, Marie-Pierre Chauzat⁸, Cecilia Costa⁹, Antoine Gekière¹⁰, Chris Hartfield¹¹, Fani Hatjina¹², Jessica L Knapp^{13

14}, Vicente Martínez-López^{15

16}, Christian Maus¹⁷, Teodor Metodiev¹⁸, Francesco Nazzi^{19

20}, Julia Osterman^{21

22

23}, Risto Raimets²⁴, Verena Strobl²⁵, Annette Van Oystaeyen²⁶, Dimitry Wintermantel²¹, Nikol Yovcheva¹⁸, Deepa Senapathi²

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK. b.k.willcox@reading.ac.uk.
² Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.
⁴ Corteva Agriscience, Regulatory and Stewardship Europe, Middle East and Africa, Abingdon, UK.
⁵ General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
⁶ Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, 31527, Egypt.
⁷ Unit of Bee Research and Honey Production, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, 61413, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ ANSES, Sophia Antipolis Laboratory, Unit of Honey Bee Pathology, 06902, Sophia Antipolis, France.
⁹ CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, 40128, Bologna, Italy.
¹⁰ Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium.
¹¹ National Farmers' Union, Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, CV8 2TZ, UK.
¹² Department of Apiculture, Institute of Animal Science, ELGO 'DIMITRA', 63200, Nea Moudania, Greece.
¹³ Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
¹⁴ Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
¹⁵ Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
¹⁶ Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
¹⁷ Bayer AG, Alfred-Nobel-Str. 50, 40789, Monheim, Germany.
¹⁸ Pensoft Publishers, Sofia, Bulgaria.
¹⁹ Dipartimento di Scienze Agroalimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy.
²⁰ National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.
²¹ Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
²² Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden.
²³ Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
²⁴ Department of Plant Protection, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.
²⁵ Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
²⁶ Biobest Group NV, Westerlo, Belgium.

PMID: 37872212
PMCID: PMC10593766
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45279-w

Emerging threats and opportunities to managed bee species in European agricultural systems: a horizon scan

Bryony K Willcox et al. Sci Rep. 2023.

. 2023 Oct 23;13(1):18099.

doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-45279-w.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK. b.k.willcox@reading.ac.uk.
² Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.
⁴ Corteva Agriscience, Regulatory and Stewardship Europe, Middle East and Africa, Abingdon, UK.
⁵ General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
⁶ Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, 31527, Egypt.
⁷ Unit of Bee Research and Honey Production, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, 61413, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ ANSES, Sophia Antipolis Laboratory, Unit of Honey Bee Pathology, 06902, Sophia Antipolis, France.
⁹ CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, 40128, Bologna, Italy.
¹⁰ Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium.
¹¹ National Farmers' Union, Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, CV8 2TZ, UK.
¹² Department of Apiculture, Institute of Animal Science, ELGO 'DIMITRA', 63200, Nea Moudania, Greece.
¹³ Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
¹⁴ Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
¹⁵ Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
¹⁶ Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
¹⁷ Bayer AG, Alfred-Nobel-Str. 50, 40789, Monheim, Germany.
¹⁸ Pensoft Publishers, Sofia, Bulgaria.
¹⁹ Dipartimento di Scienze Agroalimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy.
²⁰ National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy.
²¹ Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
²² Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden.
²³ Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
²⁴ Department of Plant Protection, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.
²⁵ Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
²⁶ Biobest Group NV, Westerlo, Belgium.

PMID: 37872212
PMCID: PMC10593766
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45279-w

Abstract

Managed bee species provide essential pollination services that contribute to food security worldwide. However, managed bees face a diverse array of threats and anticipating these, and potential opportunities to reduce risks, is essential for the sustainable management of pollination services. We conducted a horizon scanning exercise with 20 experts from across Europe to identify emerging threats and opportunities for managed bees in European agricultural systems. An initial 63 issues were identified, and this was shortlisted to 21 issues through the horizon scanning process. These ranged from local landscape-level management to geopolitical issues on a continental and global scale across seven broad themes-Pesticides & pollutants, Technology, Management practices, Predators & parasites, Environmental stressors, Crop modification, and Political & trade influences. While we conducted this horizon scan within a European context, the opportunities and threats identified will likely be relevant to other regions. A renewed research and policy focus, especially on the highest-ranking issues, is required to maximise the value of these opportunities and mitigate threats to maintain sustainable and healthy managed bee pollinators within agricultural systems.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

**Figure 1**
The 21 issues prioritized as a part of our 2022 horizon scan process and thematically grouped.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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Emerging threats and opportunities to managed bee species in European agricultural systems: a horizon scan

Affiliations

Emerging threats and opportunities to managed bee species in European agricultural systems: a horizon scan

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical