Saving bees and butterflies in Morocco
August 14, 2019
Project goal: Protecting pollinators
Project duration: June 2017 to May 2022
Project partners: The German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
Budget: €6,583,079 ($7,361,758) within the framework of the International Climate Initiative. The funding covers seven countries, including Morocco
Bees, butterflies and even some flies play an essential role in pollinating plants. Without them, humans would have a hard time finding food. Some 75 percent of our most-cultivated crops depend on insect pollination. They also ensure the genetic diversity of crops, which in turn helps them adapt to climate change.
But around the world, pollinators are under threat.
Using a method called Farming with Alternative Pollinators (FAP), the project is trying to attract pollinators with blooming meadows. But instead of planting wildflowers — as is common in Europe — they are planting crops with which farmers can earn a living.
A film by Mabel Gundlach