The new AGRI4POL project, funded by Horizon Europe and closely linked to RestPoll, officially started in January 2025. The project aims to transform agriculture into a positive force for restoring pollinator biodiversity, crop pollination services and co-benefits to ecosystems and people. With 23 partners across 14 countries, including several RestPoll members, AGRI4POL takes a multi-actor approach to developing genetic pipelines for pollinator-friendly crop varieties and sustainable agricultural practices that benefit not only pollinators and pollination services, but also their socio-economic and political values to society.
A key goal of AGRI4POL is to explore the interactions between pollinators, crops* (varieties, rotations, systems) and landscapes. By studying the crop genes affecting the chemical composition of nectar and pollen, the project will identify crop species and varieties that attract pollinators and improve crop performance. This research will show how to optimize pollination services in support of agricultural crops and restoring pollinator communities and the ecosystem and societal benefits they bring.
Addressing climate change
The project also plans to model pollinators and pollination under future climate and land-use scenarios using data from field work and other projects to understand how changing plant-pollinator relationships in a dynamic environment may affect pollination processes.
Empowering sustainable agriculture
AGRI4POL works towards integrating pollinator-friendly practices into agriculture from genetic to landscape scales, thereby contributing to long-term sustainability and food security. The project aligns with key global and European policy objectives, such as the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Close collaboration with national, European and global policymakers, agribusiness and NGOs aims to ensure AGRI4POL research is taken up and translated into actions aiming to balance agriculture and biodiversity.
Collaboration for sustainable agriculture
Through an early and enduring multi-actor collaboration, including agribusiness and farming organisations, AGRI4POL seeks to overcome socio-economic and political challenges while developing effective, practical pollinator-friendly farming solutions.
AGRI4POL will collaborate with RestPoll through overlapping use of six Living Labs within the RestPoll Living Lab network, where they will evaluate the farmer-acceptance of pollinator-friendly crops and management practices. They will also participate in workshops together, along with exchanging data and ideas in overlapping topics, such as monitoring of pollinator restoration measures or the economic co-benefits or trade-offs of these solutions.
In a world where agriculture and biodiversity must coexist, AGRI4POL will showcase how together we can cultivate a thriving future for both agriculture and our vital pollinators.
* RestPoll member Julia Osterman is involved in research on crops diversification for pollinator conservation. Interested? A recent research review , partly inspired by the EU Horizon project AGRI4POL and coauthored by her and Thijs Fijen from AGRI4POL can be found online at SpringerLink .
Other articles can be found on the ‘Publications’ page of RestPoll.
