Abstract/Summary

Insect pollinators are a fundamental component of global ecosystems and are crucially important for food production. Pollinators improve the yield and quality of over 75% of crop species and contribute over $3.61 Billion to global agriculture. With continued environmental change and potential pollinator decline it is essential to understand what contribution pollinators make to crop production, what impact any declines may have; and how pollination services might be managed effectively for improved food security. Here we present research from the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative and other projects identifying which pollinators are most important for crop production and how this varies between crops and regions. We discuss why pollinator diversity is important to maintain resilient crop production systems in the face of spatial, temporal and environmental variability. We then outline potential pollinator management strategies for improved crop pollination and how these should be targeted based on crop and pollinator traits and are often context specific, with different crops in different regions requiring different management approaches.