Representatives of Safeguard’s partner French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) participated in this year’s bee festival APIdays (les APIdays – Fête des abeilles) in Dijon, France.
The public communication event, organised by the city of Dijon and its botanic gardens, presented around thirty stands, workshops, exhibitions and other activities to inform about bees and other pollinating insects.
The INRAE team, amongst whom Zafarani Uwingabire, Willem Proesmans, Audrey Labonté, Juliette Young and Adam Vanbergen, took part in the event with a stand, giving visitors the opportunity to examine pollinators down microscopes and discuss with the Safeguard team the status of pollinators and their role in biodiversity and food production. Popular with children and adults alike were various games, challenging people to identify which species are pollinators, which crops depend on pollinators, and even which landscapes are best for pollinators. Many enjoyed playing an economic game allowing the player to reflect on scenarios of economic valuation and willingness to pay (considering the trade-offs involved) for pollinator conservation and food production.
INRAE’s main mission is, firstly, to produce and share scientific knowledge contributing to solving major challenges in Europe and in the world concerning agriculture, food and the environment, and secondly, to build on the existing INRAE research in order to foster innovation, provide expertise, and lend support to public policy makers at international, European and national level.
Photo: Poster of les APIdays – Fête des abeilles