Dear Friends,
As we close out 2024, I want to take a moment to reflect on the challenges we have faced, the progress we’ve made, and the critical work that still lies ahead. This has been a year of both sobering realities and significant accomplishments for the Pollinator Stewardship Council, made possible by the dedication and support of people like you.
The Pollinator Stewardship Council continues to advocate for pollinators and the ecosystems they support. Recent headlines may give the impression that the “bee problem” is behind us, citing stabilized or increased managed honey bee numbers. Yet, these figures often mask the deeper, systemic challenges faced by native and managed pollinators. Losses from pesticide exposure remain alarmingly high, with beekeepers reporting average annual losses of 48%.
Native pollinators, who lack the direct interventions available to managed bees, face even steeper declines as shown in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) projects that western bumble bee populations will continue to decline, with some regions seeing a decline of up to 97% from 2020 levels.
In 2024, the PSC achieved several milestones that highlight the importance of our mission:
A New Print Series: Six publications available at no charge, designed to help educate the impact of pesticides on pollinators and strategies to mitigate damage.
EPA Reform Research: Collaborating with two scientists, we helped develop a six-point proposal for improving pesticide regulations to protect pollinators, which we presented directly to the EPA’s Head of Pesticide Programs.
Comprehensive Policy Advocacy: PSC Scientific Advisory board members Dr. Susan Kegley and Dr. Judy Wu-Smart, prepared and submitted an in-depth 20+ page scientific comment letter on EPA evaluations of seed treatments on behalf of the PSC, Scientific Advisory Board, and the American Beekeeping Federation, urging stricter safeguards. PSC also prepared and submitted a comprehensive letter against new uses of dicamba, a highly volatile herbicide shown to cause a 70% reduction in pollinating insects within dicamba-exposed experimental plots.
Economic Impact Study: PSC designed a groundbreaking methodology to measure the financial losses beekeepers endure from the widespread use of neonicotinoids.
Despite these advancements, the challenges facing pollinators—and the ecosystems and agricultural systems that rely on them—remain daunting. Beekeepers continue to grapple with excessive colony losses, driven by pesticide poisoning and habitat degradation. Native pollinators like the Monarch butterfly and many bumblebee species edge closer to extinction.
Yet, hope is not lost. Our advocacy, backed by sound science and the collective voices of beekeepers, farmers, and consumers, is driving change. Terms like “organic,” “sustainable,” and “regenerative” are becoming mainstream, reflecting a growing recognition that healthy pollinators are essential for healthy soils, crops, and communities.
Your support makes this work possible. This December, our board has generously pledged $5,000 in matching funds to double the impact of your donations. Together, we can continue to champion policies that protect pollinators and the ecosystems they sustain.
Thank you for standing with us in this critical fight. Please consider making a year-end contribution to ensure the future of pollinators, beekeeping, and sustainable agriculture.
With gratitude,
Steve Ellis
President Pollinator Stewardship Council
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