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Get Britain Buzzing

Pollinator populations are fragile. Our 7 point Pollinator Manifesto sets out the key principles needed to save and secure our pollinator populations.


In 2011 Get Britain Buzzing, a campaign to highlight the crisis facing pollinating insects such as bees and hoverflies was launched by Buglife at The Royal Society in London. Germaine Greer, Tony Blair and Bill Oddie are amongst the people supporting the Get Britain Buzzing campaign.

We are now launching a seven point manifesto to support this campaign, to end the worrying decline in pollinator species across the UK and to enhance habitats, enabling a re-buzzing of the land.

One out of every three mouthfuls of our food depends on insect pollination. Pollination enables plants to fruit and set seed. 

Bees, hoverflies and other insects visiting flowers, create apples, raspberries, blackcurrants, strawberries, pears, almonds, elderberries, cherries, blackberries…. and the flowers in our gardens and countryside. 

Maifesto wordle

It is estimated that 84% of EU crops (valued at £12.6 billion per year) and 80% of wildflowers rely on insect pollination.

It is becoming apparent that pollinator populations are fragile. Failure of the pollination system has already happened in parts of China and the United States. If current trends continue, we may not have enough wild pollinators for the crops that our growing population will require. 

Matt Shardlow, CEO of Buglife commented: “Our 7 point pollinator manifesto sets out the key principles and steps required to save and secure our populations of bees and other pollinators.  If these measures are adopted by authorities, businesses and individuals then we will be able to pass on a rich, healthy and vibrant ecosystem to future generations.”

The 7 points are:

  1. All pollinators valued for the service that they provide
  2. Our pollinator populations properly monitored and understood
  3. Pesticide use that harms pollinators reduced
  4. Wildflower rich landscapes restored - B-Lines established
  5. Declines in rare and threatened pollinator species reversed
  6. Places for pollinators planned around people
  7. Wild pollinators protected from imported parasites and diseases


Our YouTube 'Get Britain Buzzing' video provides a summary.

Get Britain Buzzing logo

Get Britain Buzzing logo

Tony Blair speaking at the “Get Britain Buzzing” launch, expressed concern at the declining populations of pollinators, stating that they are in fact “fundamentally important to the environment and the country” and underlining that “It’s the next generation that will live with the consequences, if our stewardship of the environment is not properly maintained, and we don’t live up to the obligations we have”.

Buglife is delivering a range of exciting and innovative projects including: B-Lines creating swathes of wildflowers, converting urban mown grass into wildflower meadows, Brownfield sites protecting and improving pollinator habitats, Living Roofs creating high rise pollinator habitat, encouraging people to create bee hotels in their gardens and pesticide policy work on those chemicals that are most toxic to pollinators.