More joined-up thinking is needed to encourage pollinator insects to thrive, according to a study led by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

The research looked into the impact of the Ecological Focus Areas (EFA) which form a requirement for crop growers’ claiming CAP money. The study showed that the EFA requirement failed to get all the resources for pollinators like bumblebees, solitary bees and hoverflies.

This investigation was conducted by more than 20 pollinator experts from 18 different countries and looked at a range of wildlife habitats on farmland.

The experts recommend the need to create a variety of interconnected, well-managed habitats that complement each other in the resources they offer.

With the CAP post-2020 fast approaching, our study highlights that to effectively conserve pollinators, we need to improve habitat quality

In a bid to decrease the environmental impact of agriculture, the 2014 EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) defined a set of habitat and landscape features that farmers needed to incorporate in order to receive Basic Farm Payments.

The findings of the study, which was funded under the Cost Action Super-B – Sustainable Pollination in Europe programme, will be used to inform the CAP post-2020.

Lead researcher Dr Lorna Cole, an agricultural ecologist at SRUC, said: “With the CAP post-2020 fast approaching, our study highlights that to effectively conserve pollinators, we need to improve habitat quality.

“With different habitats offering different resources, we also need to focus on increasing habitat diversity to ensure that our countryside provides the range of resources that pollinators require.”