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A University of Sussex-led study published in September has found that training urban farmers to track insect visits boosts awareness and engagement — but without professional oversight, results can be skewed.

Sussex researchers worked with urban farmers – including allotment holders and community growers – across UK cities to record insect visits to food crops like raspberries, squash and tomatoes. Using a specially developed citizen science protocol, the farmers and researchers then compared farmer-collected records with those of researchers and gathered feedback from participants.

Both growers and researchers agreed that raspberries and squash were pollinator favourites, while tomatoes attracted the fewest insects. But farmer-collected data sometimes overstated patterns, often because of misidentification or logging surveys when no insects were seen, which is crucial for understanding pollinator numbers.

“Urban food production depends on pollinators, but getting access to different growing sites can be challenging,” said University of Sussex Principal Research Fellow Dr. Beth Nicholls. “Citizen science with allotment growers themselves, for example, can bridge that gap. But our study shows it works best when paired with methodological support and ongoing dialogue.”

Aside from the data generated in the study, urban growers that took part reported an increased awareness of which insects pollinate crops, and also changed their behaviour by planting more bee-friendly flowers and having a ‘more inclusive’ attitude to pests such as slugs and snails.

Key findings include:

• Raspberries and squash drew the most insect visits; tomatoes the least.
• Relying only on grower-collected data risked misleading conclusions.
• Barriers to participation in the citizen science project included lack of time, complex methods of data collection, and accuracy concerns.
• Implementing farmers’ suggestions to improve the methods of data collection increased participation by 66% in the next year.
• Participants reported a greater appreciation and understanding of insect pollination after taking part and changes in their approaches to growing food.

The study highlights both the ecological benefits of better pollinator data and the social benefits of engaging farmers directly. The researchers behind the study recommends that urban agriculture policy recognises both, while ensuring professional verification remains central to guiding future food security planning.

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