Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8424 / SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2016 PROTECTINGPOLLINATORS ThisseriesissponsoredbyOperationPollinator, aSyngentaglobalinitiative. THE MEDIA MAY sometimes portray farmers and beekeepers as being on opposite sides, but the two groups are actually both striving for the same goal: feeding a growing population while pro- tecting the world we live in. Coexistence is crucial, but there has still been a great deal of blame in recent years as reports of colony collapse disorder hit headlines. Vince Restucci, director of pro- curement and business technology for the farm division of R.D. Offutt Company, a Minnesota potato operation, believes such attention may have started off in a nega- tive light, but has led to positive change by opening a dialogue. “There has been a lot of finger-pointing — primarily from those outside the ag sector, but there has also been a lot of interest in finding sustainable solutions and many opportunities to educate and inform the public on what farmers are doing to help support pollinators,” he says. Syngenta has a long history of biodi- versity enhancement projects. Romano De Vivo, head of environmental policy for Syngenta, was instrumental in begin- ning the company’s Operation Pollinator program in Europe more than 15 years ago. He believes conversation is the key to coexistence. “The more we can involve people in the conversation, the better,” he says. The Conversation The conversation often begins with a single idea. Perhaps a beekeeper asks about a specific pesticide being sprayed near his hives. Or a farmer asks how to add pollinator habitat to his land. However, to be effective, these conver- sations must address the full spectrum of factors that play a part in bee health, including habitat, diseases, parasites, beekeeper practices, climate change and poor nutrition, as well as chemicals. De Vivo sees the overall solution being assembled like building blocks, each piece of the conversation brings an important ele- ment toward creating a solid foundation for the future of agriculture. “Each element is important to con- sider,” he says. Communicating Coexistence “When we look at studies, it’s clear bees are healthier and better able to defend themselves when they have access to a variety of pollen and nectar sources,” De Vivo says. Through dialogue, change is beginning to take shape. Melissa Shipman COMMUNICATINGTHEWAYTOCOEXISTENCE So, De Vivo encourages farmers who want to take a first step toward investing in pollinators to convert a small area of less productive land into a habitat for wildlife. This can be done by planting trees, flowers or bushes. By partnering with the National Potato Council and Syngenta’s Operation Pollinator program, R.D. Offutt Company jumped into this effort in a big way. The company maintains more than 1,000 acres of pollinator plots across the Midwest and has converted the corners of its potato fields, where water from center- pivot irrigation systems does not reach, to pollinator habitats. Romano De Vivo, head of environmental policy for Syngenta, was instrumental in beginning the company’s Operation Pollinator program in Europe more than 15 years ago.