Protecting Farmland Pollinators (PFP)

European farmland has experienced wide-scale loss of wild pollinators over the last 50 years. The decline in bees, butterflies and other insects has largely resulted from the effect of monoculture and the drive to ever higher levels of agricultural productivity, which is also characterised by a loss or neglect of hedgerows, farmland edges & scrub. PFP involves working with farmers across farm types (beef, diary, mixed & tillage) to roll-out a whole farm pollinator scoring system and identify what management practices on Irish farmland benefit pollinators. The whole farm pollinator score is calculated based on each farmer’s management practices. In the long term, this score will help farmers to understand how pollinator-friendly their farm is, and identify what simple, low-cost actions they can take to work towards improving their score in a way that does not negatively affect productivity. PFP is built on evidence-based actions and a results-based payment model. The participating farmers receive an annual payment based on their overall farm pollinator score, which is calculated based on the quantity & quality of pollinator-friendly habitat on the farm. Scores are based on weighted indicators relating to the following 5 criteria: Flowering hedgerows; Pollinator-friendly trees; Pesticide inputs; Flowering margins around field edges, and; Flowers. Scores are adjusted for quality and the higher the pollinator score of the farm, the more the farmer will be paid annually.