17 September 2014: The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is conducting a global assessment on pollination and pollinators associated with food production. The IPBES Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) task force is calling for submissions to generate worldwide inputs on ILK for this thematic assessment.

Indigenous peoples, local communities, ILK holders, ILK experts, natural and social scientists from developing and developed countries, beekeepers/honey producers and their organizations, and other relevant groups can contribute by sharing: past or on-going projects on ILK with regard to pollinators, pollination and food production; and scientific and grey literature on ILK with regard to pollinators, pollination and/or their relationship to food production.

In addition to scientific inputs, this assessment is to be based on the knowledge, observations and understandings of indigenous peoples and local communities. The initiative is part of the ILK task force’s effort to pilot procedures and approaches for building ILK into IPBES. The deadline for submissions is 10 October 2014. [IPBES News] [UNESCO News]