Roadmap for action on the environmental risk assessment of chemicals for insect pollinators (IPol‐ERA)
James Williams, Adele Bordoni, Agnieszka J. Bednarska, M. Alice Pinto, Cátia Ariana Henriques Martins, Dora Henriques, Fabio Sgolastra, Jessica Knapp, João Loureiro, José Paulo Sousa, Kata Gócs, Luna Kondrup Marcussen, Maj Rundlöf, Maria von Post, Mariana Castro, Natasha Mølgaard, Noa Simon, Nuno Capela, Peet Thomsen, Ricardo Casqueiro, Serena Magagnoli, Sheila Holz, Sílvia Castro, Yoko Luise Dupont, Zuzanna M. Filipiak, Christopher John Topping
Abstract
Approaches integrating interdisciplinary perspectives are necessary to address current and future health and environmental challenges. Many policy initiatives have embraced more holistic approaches to tackle these challenges, e.g., the One Health concept, the Farm to Fork (F2F), Biodiversity and Chemical strategies within the European Green Deal and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Insect pollinators are an excellent example of the One Health concept and have gained renewed focus through the EU Pollinator Initiative. Insect pollinators are essential for healthy diets by providing pollination services and maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystem functions. For this reason, they are part of the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) of chemicals, such as plant protection products (PPPs). However, an ERA of PPPs can align with and embrace these more holistic concepts and strategies by evolving towards a systems-based approach that recognises the diversity and the important role played by insect pollinators (e.g., pollination services for food security), as well as the variety of habitats and contexts they live in with their multiple stressors, and where PPPs may be used. A roadmap has been developed to determine the steps and actions needed to progress ERA methodologies and tools for insect pollinators. This roadmap is based on a review of the latest scientific knowledge, determining key areas for development to advance ERA, and identifying expertise and networks needed to foster progressive dialogue and public acceptance. The roadmap proposes several actions to generate the necessary knowledge to advance methodologies and tools within the current ERA framework, initially for chemical PPPs but extendable to other regulated chemicals. In addition, it outlines the actions needed to build the framework and the collaborative activities required to realise the transition to a systems-based ERA for insect pollinators by 2030.