Honoring pollinators - Agriculture's lifelines

Jun 07, 2024

National pollinator week showcases conservation efforts

By Farms.com

As National Pollinator Week approaches (June 17-23), attention turns to the indispensable role of pollinators in agriculture and the initiatives working to protect them.

In Arizona, the Arizona Monarch Collaborative focuses on monarch habitat enhancement. In California, climate-smart farming practices receive support to create pollinator-friendly environments.

In Idaho, a butterfly ecosystem showcases the importance of pollinators. Illinois offers resources and educational events to raise awareness. In Iowa, efforts are underway to enhance monarch reproduction.

In North Carolina, honeybees serve as an entry point for youth into farming. In Virginia, success stories like Bee Campus USA certification highlight pollinator conservation.

These initiatives emphasize the critical link between pollinators and agriculture, underscoring the importance of their conservation for sustainable food production.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.