BSc (Hons) Environmental Science (17-21)
brexit vs bees is an undergraduate research project looking at the potential relationship between politics and ecology
brexit vs bees is an undergraduate research project looking at the potential relationship between politics and ecology
Academic Research
Environmental Science
analysing previous changes in the common agricultural policy alongside historic changes in bee poplulation, the effects of changing our rural policy post european union could have un-intended impacts
abstract
“ The UK leaving the single market of the European Union, a political decision commonly referred to as Brexit, has a wide range of long term impacts. Not least of which is the impact of the removal of the UK from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which controls the majority of Britain’s agricultural legislation. Bee population decline is one of the most pressing issues currently facing agriculture and the wider ecosystem. Agricultural practices such as the use of pesticides and the poor management of wild habitat are some of the cited causes of global pollinator decline. It’s, therefore, possible to understand how a change in agricultural legislation affecting topics such as pesticide use, habitat protection and environmental regulations would have the potential to impact bee populations. This dissertation investigates the potential for changes caused by Brexit to British agricultural policy, to impact future bee populations. By looking at previous reforms to the CAP and looking at their alignment to previous shifts in British bee populations, it’s possible to consider the impact that Brexit reforms could have on bees within the UK. The view of the British Government is that Brexit offers an opportunity for environmentally positive reform, but their actions have not reflected this ethos. Should the UK government choose to grasp the opportunity to make the protection of bees a priority in agricultural policy, the future of British bee populations post- Brexit could become more favourable.”