THE PROJECT
FAB: Functional Agricultural Biodiversity was a two year project (2019 - 2021) funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018-841952) awarded to Dr Lucy Alford to work with Professor Joan van Baaren and global cosmetics company Yves Rocher. The project aimed to understand how we can use Functional Agricultural Biodiversity to restore the beneficial services of pollination and natural pest control to agricultural landscapes and ultimately optimise agricultural productivity. Although the MSCA project ended in 2021, the project continues as the HI-FAB project.
|
What is Functional Agricultural Biodiversity or FAB?Functional agricultural biodiversity is the diversity of living organisms within agricultural landscapes that perform important roles such as pollination and pest control. These ecosystem services contribute to the functioning of the ecosystem and support sustainable agricultural production.
|
Summary
The use of pesticides and chemical-intensive farming systems are causing bees and other vital pollinators to die at alarming rates worldwide. These insects are essential for two-thirds of our food crops. Enhancing biodiversity is one way to mitigate the loss of pollinator diversity. The FAB project will investigate the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of key pollinating species using cereal and flower fields in France. Ultimately, the project’s goal is to integrate the concept of functional agricultural biodiversity to help farmers restore key ecological services (crop pest suppression and crop pollination) to ensure biodiversity-friendly production.
|