Major new project to assess impact of pollinator decline
10 February 2025
The University of Reading is leading a new €6.5 million European research project to investigate how declining pollinator populations could affect societies and economies across the continent.
The VALOR project (VALues and dependence of society on pollinatORs), funded through the EU's Horizon Europe programme, launched last week (4 February 2025) with a three-day event at the University's Whiteknights campus.
The four-year project brings together interdisciplinary researchers, policymakers and businesses to evaluate changes in the populations of bees, butterflies and other pollinators in Europe.
Declines in pollinator numbers could affect everything from landscape quality and farm profitability to cultural heritage and public health. Through a combination of primary research and advanced modelling, the project aims to develop practical tools that stakeholders can use to assess and address these risks in their regions.
Dr Tom Breeze, Senior Research Fellow in Ecological Economics at the University of Reading and VALOR project coordinator, said:
"This research will help us understand the real-world impacts of pollinator decline on our communities and food systems. We are thrilled to be leading such an important project, working with colleagues all over Europe to develop practical solutions."
The project will run until December 2028.
Image credit: Sean Webber
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