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Irish charity Ballyhoura Development CLG is partnering with 13 other organisations from six European countries to restore wild pollinator populations across north-west Europe.
The Polliconnect initiative has a total budget of €7.1m, of which €4.1m is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg North-West Europe programme, a European territorial cooperation programme supporting sustainable development.
Over the next 54 months, Polliconnect will deploy a range of solutions aimed at increasing pollinator biodiversity indicators by 20pc in designated areas, introduce new tools such as AI-powered wild bee monitoring cameras, and engage with and train gardeners, farmers and others.
The initiative will also establish and test eight living labs in participating countries, which include Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, and provide evidence-based data and guidelines to inform public policy and help replicate the results in other European countries.
Polliconnect officially launched at an event in Pas-de-Calais, France.
“Ballyhoura Development is excited to lead Ireland’s contribution to the Polliconnect project,” said Padraig Casey, the CEO of Ballyhoura Development CLG.
“The collaboration reflects our deep commitment to biodiversity, sustainable habitat management and empowering communities to take meaningful action for nature.
“Through innovation, education and partnership, we look forward to helping shape a future where pollinators thrive and ecosystems are reconnected for generations to come,” Casey added.
Ballyhoura Development is a community-led local development company and a registered charity that works with communities and businesses in east Limerick and north Cork.
According to the organisation, it currently delivers more than 30 programmes focusing on sustainable, social, environmental and economic development.
Some of the other organisations participating in Polliconnect include Belgium’s Flemish Land Agency, Brussels Environment, Ghent University and Provincie West-Vlaanderen; the senator for environment, climate and science in Bremen, Germany; and France’s Department of Pas-de-Calais and Efrei University of Paris.
Last year, after a period of setbacks and fierce opposition, the EU finally approved the Nature Restoration Law. The heavily debated regulation went through several rounds of negotiations since it was first proposed in 2022.
The approved law is a diluted version of what was initially proposed. However, among its various set targets, the new law will mandate EU countries to reverse the decline of pollinating insects.
While the law was being contested, a 2023 study showed that despite heavy regulation, Europe’s pesticide usage was negatively affecting non-target organisms such as bees.
Suhasini Srinivasaragavan
This article originally appeared on www.siliconrepublic.com and can be found here
The Polliconnect initiative has a total budget of €7.1m, of which €4.1m is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg North-West Europe programme, a European territorial cooperation programme supporting sustainable development.
Over the next 54 months, Polliconnect will deploy a range of solutions aimed at increasing pollinator biodiversity indicators by 20pc in designated areas, introduce new tools such as AI-powered wild bee monitoring cameras, and engage with and train gardeners, farmers and others.
The initiative will also establish and test eight living labs in participating countries, which include Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, and provide evidence-based data and guidelines to inform public policy and help replicate the results in other European countries.
Polliconnect officially launched at an event in Pas-de-Calais, France.
“Ballyhoura Development is excited to lead Ireland’s contribution to the Polliconnect project,” said Padraig Casey, the CEO of Ballyhoura Development CLG.
“The collaboration reflects our deep commitment to biodiversity, sustainable habitat management and empowering communities to take meaningful action for nature.
“Through innovation, education and partnership, we look forward to helping shape a future where pollinators thrive and ecosystems are reconnected for generations to come,” Casey added.
Ballyhoura Development is a community-led local development company and a registered charity that works with communities and businesses in east Limerick and north Cork.
According to the organisation, it currently delivers more than 30 programmes focusing on sustainable, social, environmental and economic development.
Some of the other organisations participating in Polliconnect include Belgium’s Flemish Land Agency, Brussels Environment, Ghent University and Provincie West-Vlaanderen; the senator for environment, climate and science in Bremen, Germany; and France’s Department of Pas-de-Calais and Efrei University of Paris.
Last year, after a period of setbacks and fierce opposition, the EU finally approved the Nature Restoration Law. The heavily debated regulation went through several rounds of negotiations since it was first proposed in 2022.
The approved law is a diluted version of what was initially proposed. However, among its various set targets, the new law will mandate EU countries to reverse the decline of pollinating insects.
While the law was being contested, a 2023 study showed that despite heavy regulation, Europe’s pesticide usage was negatively affecting non-target organisms such as bees.
Suhasini Srinivasaragavan
This article originally appeared on www.siliconrepublic.com and can be found here
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