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<p>Bees and other pollinators play an essential role in our £100 billion food industry.
In 2014, Defra published an independent review of the evidence on the status and value
of pollinators. The review estimated that the total value of all pollinators through
the value of insect-pollinated crops in the UK was approximately £600 million per
year.</p><p> </p><p>The review also identified an overall decline in wild bee diversity
over the last 50 years but concluded that we cannot say with confidence whether this
impacts generally on the yield or quality of UK crops.</p><p> </p><p>We are taking
action to understand better and manage any risks associated with changes in pollinator
populations. In collaboration with research institutes and volunteer organisations,
we have established a pollinator monitoring and research partnership to gather further
data and improve our understanding of the status of pollinators and pollination services
in the UK. We have also introduced a Pollinator and Wildlife Package to our Countryside
Stewardship Scheme in England and are working with farmers, business and conservation
organisations to provide pollinator habitat on farmland, in urban areas and in gardens
in order to boost pollinator populations.</p>
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