Overview

• A new report by Bee:wild and the University of Reading lists 12 emerging threats to pollinators, including war-driven land use changes, heavy metals, and microplastics.
• Conflicts like the war in Ukraine are reducing crop diversity and introducing heavy metal pollution, harming pollinator food sources and habitats.
• Microplastics and agricultural antibiotics are contaminating beehives, altering pollinator behavior and reducing their health and efficiency.
• Unintended consequences of climate mitigation efforts, such as large-scale tree planting and battery metal mining, are degrading pollinator habitats.
• The report calls for stronger pollution controls, habitat restoration, and international cooperation to protect pollinators essential for food security and ecosystems.