INGRID H WILLIAMS

The concerns about pollinator decline worldwide over recent decades have now been acknowledged internationally at the highest level. The Convention on Biological Diversity has recognized pollination as a key driver in the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem function within its Agricultural Biological Diversity programme. At the recent sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the convention, the International Pollinator Initiative was approved. The Plan of Action for the initiative is a challenging one not only for pollination scientists but for funding bodies and policy makers alike.