As part of the new Businesses: actions for pollinators guidelines, the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is delighted to launch a structure for businesses to identify pollinator-friendly procurement practices (Action 32 Page 29).
Products
When buying plants or products from nurseries or garden centres, or through third parties such as landscapers, grounds maintenance, facilities/ asset management companies, ensure your purchases align with AIPP recommendations.
That might mean sourcing Peat-free compost when planting planters at your office site, to protect a key pollinator habitat (and carbon sink).
Or it might mean sourcing provenance Irish native pollinator-friendly trees if you are investing in tree planting on for example farmland. N.B. A Blackthorn from central Europe will flower at the wrong time of year for pollinators on this island.
Your thinking might also include sourcing eco-alternatives to pesticides (herbicides and insecticides) in support of pollinators – but you will still need to continue to spot spray invasive species.
Services
Services procured also merit consideration when focusing on pollinators and biodiversity.
Ongoing pollinator-friendly management, such as reduced mowing (Page 6), or hedgerow management on a business site is vital for creating a landscape where biodiversity can thrive.
Also, consider if commissioning or re-commissioning an ecological survey, to include the National Pollinator Monitoring methodology available from the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
The ‘value chain’ & pollinator-friendly procurement
You might also consider ‘value chain’ interactions in relation to pollinator-friendly procurement.
- Review your tender process. Is sign-up to the AIPP included in any Request for Tender for suppliers/grounds maintenance or landscape contractors? Review Action 32 on Page 28 of Businesses: actions to help pollinators.
- Are landowners (e.g. farmers) and key stakeholders signed up to the AIPP (Action 23 Page 22)? The simple sign up process is here.
- Is your business sponsoring (Action 24 Page 24) a pollinator-friendly initiative in the Local Community? Aim to elicit an AIPP evidence-based action when sponsoring or buying products or services for a Local Community nature initiative.
- Has your business considered a pollinator-friendly procurement policy? If not, review the recommendations at Action 32 Page 29.
Pollinator-friendly procurement
If you are planning ahead this year, ensure that your plan includes procurement aligned to relevant AIPP guidelines and companion resources.
Also ensure that when your business is ‘investing’ its money through sponsorship that this money is aligned to pollinator-friendly evidence-based actions.
And do remember to focus on evidence-based actions. Not all actions are considered helpful.
Read more here: Why we don’t recommend wildflower seed mixes » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (pollinators.ie)
Read more here: Too many honey bees can threaten wild bees » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (pollinators.ie)