USA
May 19, 2015

The National Corn Growers Association welcomed the announcement of the National Pollinator Health Strategy, released today by the White House Pollinator Health Task Force. NCGA applauded the Task Force for emphasizing the importance of public-private partnerships and called for continued discussion and collaboration between farmers, industry, and government about how to ensure a health and robust population of honeybees and other pollinators.

“Even though corn does not rely on pollinators, we recognize that they are critical to the overall health and vitality of our agricultural system,” said Don Glenn, chair of NCGA’s Production and Stewardship Action Team. “The National Pollinator Health Strategy underscores that everyone – farmers, beekeepers, conservationists, industry, and government – must work together to solve this challenge.”

NCGA has been a leading voice for farmers on pollinator issues since the Task Force formed last summer. Glenn testified at the Task Force’s public listening session last fall, and NCGA has regularly met with other stakeholder groups about this issue. NCGA is also a member of the Honey Bee Health Coalition, a diverse group of agricultural and conservation groups focused on healthy populations of pollinators in the context of productive agricultural systems and thriving ecosystems.

“NCGA is eager to review the Task Force’s recommendations in detail,” said Glenn. “We are committed to implementing solutions that will improve pollinator health and population while being economically viable and practical for farmers. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the Task Force and all stakeholders focused on pollinator health.”

Click here to learn more about the Honey Bee Health Coalition.

Website: http://www.ncga.com

Published: May 20, 2015