Bees and bumblebees have been dying on a mass scale. This has serious impact on our food and agriculture, because these insects are the most important pollinators we have. There are many factors that contribute to the death of the bees, such as the spread of diseases, monotonous agriculture, and diminishing biodiversity. The main source of the problem however, lies in the use of modern pesticides, especially so-called neonicotinoid. The EU recently banned two varieties of the pesticide, but according to dr. Jeroen van der Sluijs this is not enough.
Jeroen van der Sluijs is Associate Professor at the Department of Innovation, Environmental and Energy Sciences, at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development (UU). He coordinates the Research Cluster Energy and Global Change: Dealing with Risks and Uncertainties.
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