Pesticides and pollinators: a context-sensitive policy approach

I examine recent policymaking efforts in the United States (US) that seek to improve how risks posed by pesticides to insect pollinators are assessed and managed. Utilizing the case of ongoing honey bee die-offs, I argue for a context-sensitive policy framework. From a scientific perspective, this entails not ignoring the uncertain knowledge emerging from laboratory and field studies regarding the indirect effects of low levels of certain insecticides in combination with other factors. From a social scientific perspective, policy initiatives to build partnerships between growers and beekeepers toward mitigating exposure to pesticides are crucial, and need to acknowledge barriers to the adoption of best management practices as well as a historically-established asymmetry between growers and beekeepers in the pollination industry.