More diversity in the Fields and less use of pesticides: With this Plan, more than 70 researchers want to save inside the insects.

This hard-working bees to poisons photo: imago images /angle of view

BERLIN taz | Smaller areas of arable land with more diversity and less Arable be saved: for example, more than 70 international researchers want to save inside the insects. "It is not yet too late but we must act now," says Viola Clausnitzer, a scientist at the Senckenberg Museum für naturkunde Görlitz.

The "plan of action for the insect repellent and insect recovery," is divided into immediate, medium - and long-term measures. "In the first step, so-called No-regret should be implemented-solutions that benefit the whole of the insect world," says Clausnitzer. No-regret measures are those in which the Benefits are higher than under present-day conditions the cost. "For this purpose, a heterogeneous agriculture or the reduction of pesticides, for example."

Also, the environmental Association BUND and the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Dunning: "Global insects must be prevented from dying with a sustainable agricultural policy." Together, the organisations publish this Wednesday an "insect Atlas", which summarizes current data to be Useful, and pests in agriculture. There it is: the animal pollination, "threaten individual fruit and vegetables such as Apples, cherries, plums, or cucumbers Harvest declines of up to 90 percent."

Overall, depend on the Atlas according to the three-quarters of the world's most important agricultural crops on pollination by insects. They are the essential basis for the food supply. And yet, nearly half of the 561 in Germany, the local species of wild bees in their holdings.

"man-made factors, such as loss and fragmentation of habitat, pollution, invasive species, climate change and intensive agriculture lead to a worldwide loss of species of insects," summarizes researcher clausnitzer. "We believe, however, that it can succeed in the global insects to stop to die – if swift measures are not taken."

in addition to emergency measures, such as a pesticide to stop the rescue plan, the researcher provides inside, to browse already existing insects archives, in museums, for example, and the existing Knowledge to centralize. Also, the structure of an organization for the sustainable financing of the insect habitats is one of the long-term measures of the Plan.

Because of intensive agriculture, hedgerows and arable margins are gone, and many mono-cultures emerged. Since 1950, 71 percent of the arable land gone wild herb species. And with them many insects.

The farmers are sitting on a big lever when it comes to stop the insects die. According to the authors of the insects of Atlas, it needs an agricultural policy that subsidizes those who follow a Plan such as that of the researchers and an insect - and climate-friendly farming.

Because then only the animals that are to bees, for example, the German Wild by providing them a better life, not be able to win double the harvest of strawberries and cherries.