Equitable Food Initiative — the Washington-based, capacity-building and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers and retailers — celebrated Pollinator Week, June 16-22, by launching a free pollinator tool kit. The collection comes with educational resources, downloadable graphics and actionable tips to raise awareness and assist with supporting pollinator populations.
Pollinators are vital to food production and the health of farming ecosystems, the group says. The tool kit can be accessed online at EquitableFood.org/Pollinator-Week.
“We can’t protect what we don’t understand,” says Alexandra Martinez, EFI’s senior digital marketing and sales associate, in a news release. “This tool kit is designed to raise awareness and make it easier for our partners and the broader industry to take meaningful steps to protect pollinator habitats in practical ways.”
One in every three bites of food requires pollinators, but their populations are declining at alarming rates due to pesticide use, habitat loss and climate change, EFI says. According to the USDA, more than $18 billion worth of crops depend on pollinators in the U.S. alone. Pollinator conservation closely aligns with EFI’s mission to foster a more sustainable and transparent food supply chain by addressing environmental, labor and consumer needs in harmony.
A tool kit focused specifically on pollinators is a first for EFI, according to the group. But EFI says the pollinator tool kit joins its robust library of materials designed to support safer, healthier and more sustainable food systems. The tool kit highlights not only honeybees and butterflies, but also lesser-known pollinators such as bats, beetles, birds, moths and flies.
The kit invites users to explore and take action through colorful graphics, surprising facts and ready-to-use materials designed to inspire and create learning. Highlights include:
- Shareable visuals and infographics
- A “Did You Know?” series
- Templates for social media and email campaigns
- Practical steps to protect pollinators on farms and in neighborhoods
“Our goal is to make participation in Pollinator Week simple, impactful and accessible,” Martinez adds. “As pollinator populations face growing challenges, EFI is proud to contribute tools and awareness that encourage improvement and industry engagement.”
