BEESNESS - Diversity and dynamics of Atlantic bee resources in relation to climate and pesticide load: data for pollination management and sustainable agriculture, Abstract Book of the Final Project Workshop

Plants and animals rely on a crucial partnership for survival: pollination. About 90% of flowering plants require animals, mostly bees, to transfer pollen and facilitate reproduction. This process directly benefits humans, too, with 75% of food crops seeing increased production due to pollination. While honeybees get most of the credit, solitary bee species also play a critical role in agricultural pollination. Unfortunately, bee populations are declining worldwide due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and limited food sources. This decline poses a serious threat to food security and ecosystem health. As a major exporter of fruits like mango, Brazil relies heavily on bee pollination in the São Francisco Valley, a Caatinga biome with unique biodiversity. Here, monitoring programs are needed to understand the factors behind bee decline, including pesticide impacts on bee behaviour, survival, and honey/fruit contamination. The BEESNESS project, a collaboration between Portuguese, Brazilian and UK researchers, aims to address this knowledge gap. It was intended to generate data on bee biodiversity, pesticide effects and resilience to climate change in the São Francisco Valley. Such data is crucial to support the development of sustainable farming practices and conservation strategies to protect bees and ensure food security. The project culminated in this Final Workshop, which was held to share groundbreaking research and connect with the wider community. This two-day event served as a platform to disseminate the project's activities and findings, fostering a dialogue with farmers, beekeepers and other stakeholders. Through engaging presentations, we aimed at providing participants with valuable insights into our research within the Caatinga biome. Interactive online sessions and discussions created a space for knowledge exchange and collaborative problem-solving, addressing the challenges faced by bees and exploring solutions towards protection of the most impacted populations. This workshop was a BEESNESS consortium's commitment to bridging the gap between research and real-world application, ultimately aiming to secure a future where bees and ecosystems thrive alongside a well-informed agricultural community.