Crop production, the pollinator deficit and land use management: UK farm level survey results

In this paper, we address a gap in the literature concerning pollination man-agement, the pollinator deficit, and conservation objectives. By employing a farm level survey of UK farmers, we examine farmers’ attitudes, understanding and management of pollinators. Based on descriptive statistics and regression analysis, we found sig-nificant variation in interest and understanding of the impact of pollinators on com-mercial crops meaning that many respondents did not consider they had a pollinator deficit in terms of crop quality, quantity, or financial impacts. At the same time, many farmers are willing to adopt environmentally beneficial land-use measures if suitable advice and financial incentives are offered. However, there is little evidence of coordi-nation of actions between farms to support wild pollinators. These findings indicate a potential disconnect between a farmer’s understanding of the impact on agricultural output from a pollinator deficit and the agricultural benefits from the adoption of spe-cific environmental measures.