Sainsbury’s declares war and fights for better farming practices to improved farmland bio-diversity.
With an army of bumblebees on the front line!
As Albert Einstein said:
"If the bees disappeared off the face of the globe, mankind would have four years to live"
Over the last 30 years the humble bumblebee has been in steady decline and recent
research shows their populations are down by a worrying 70%. Already three of the 25 species traditionally found in the UK have become extinct and conservationists fear several more are in imminent danger if action is not taken quickly.
In order to prevent any more species form becoming extinct, Sainsbury’s and Syngenta are working with their growers to implement a nationwide project known as Operation Bumblebee.
Operation Bumblebee could increase the bumblebee population by a staggering 600%.
The project will involve the specialist training of over 300 of Sainsbury’s farmers and growers, who farm in excess of 80,000 hectares of farmland across the UK. The project’s aim is to grow vital Pollen and Nectar rich habitats on their farms, which in turn will hopefully result in the number of bumblebees increasing by many millions over the next three summers. As well as increasing the population of bumblebees, other wildlife, including butterflies, bugs, farmland birds and small mammals will also benefit. Bumblebees are an excellent indicator of greater farmland bio diversity ( wildlife) but also help many beneficial insects such as labybirds that have a positive effect in reducing pest numbers in field crops.
Currently there are over 500 growers involved in the project with some 600 hectares of seed mix being sown across the UK ( one hectare is equivalent to an area the size as the new Wembley Stadium football pitch).
HOW IT WORKS:
Sainsbury’s and Syngenta are working closely with farmers and growers encouraging them to establish new habitats for bumblebees on their farms by sowing and managing ’field boundarys’ and other uncropped areas within their fields. Using a unique seed mix, these new habitats will produce a selection of plants and wild flowers which deliver a consistent supply of pollen and nectar vital for bumblebees to thrive.
The exclusive project will train farmers and growers, in the new skills required to manage the new Bumblebee habitat. This follows a successful pilot project, which included Marshalls Bros, one of Sainsbury’s largest green vegetable suppliers, it is based on five years of scientific research by Syngenta to create the ideal environment for bumblebees to prosper.
George Reid, a potato and brassica grower for Sainsbury’s said: "We are really excited about this project. We have already seen an increase in bumblebees as our seed mix starts to flower. We will continue to sow the seed mix until the first week in September – and we look forward to seeing many more bumblebees at work in our fields by this time next year. "
Debbie Winstanley, Sainsbury’s bumblebee ambassador said: "Sainsbury’s customers care about the environment in which their food is grown and at a very small cost this project demonstrates how sustainable, profitable food production and a vibrant countryside can sit side by side. "
Geoff Coates of Syngenta who manages Operation Bumblebee said," We are delighted to be working with Sainsbury’s on this exciting project which will hopefully halt the decline of our bumblebee populations."
Operation Bumblebee is one of many projects Sainsbury’s is looking at to support rural and farming communities across the UK and creates valuable environmental habitats to encourage biodiversity.
