Nomia is a sovereign agricultural resilience initiative
The Australian blue-banded bee (Amegilla spp.) is biologically incompatible with Varroa.
Lipotriches flavoviridis, an Australian native ground-nesting nomiine sweat bee.
Australian Native Bee Pollination for a Stronger Future
Australian native bee pollination could become an important part of Australia’s response to growing pollination risk.
Varroa destructor has changed the operating environment for managed European honeybees. Therefore, Australia needs credible complementary options that can be tested under local conditions.
Nomia Bee Australia Foundation Limited is developing a science-led program to investigate native ground-nesting pollinators. The program will build practical evidence before any wider rollout is proposed.
Why Australia Needs Stronger Pollination Resilience
Australian agriculture relies heavily on European honeybees for crop pollination.
Managed honeybees will remain essential. Yet a resilient system should not depend on one pollination pathway alone.
Australian native bee pollination may offer added capacity for some crops and regions. First, the opportunity must be tested carefully. Then, the results must be measured against clear agricultural outcomes.
Native bees already provide pollination services to natural ecosystems and agricultural systems. However, major knowledge gaps remain around their biology, management and crop value.
What the Nomia Program Will Test
Nomia will investigate whether selected native ground-nesting bees can support reliable crop pollination in Australian conditions.
The program will answer four practical questions:
- Can suitable native bee populations be established and maintained?
- Can engineered nesting habitat support stable breeding?
- Can native bees improve pollination performance in target crops?
- Can the method operate safely, consistently and at useful scale?
The answers will come from field data, not assumptions. As a result, the program can identify both success and failure early.
A Measured, Science-Led Approach
Native bees cannot simply be released and expected to solve a national problem. Instead, the work requires habitat design, breeding systems, crop trials and continuous monitoring.
Nomia will use a staged approach:
- Build controlled breeding and nesting infrastructure.
- Monitor bee health, survival and reproduction.
- Measure flower visits, pollination rates and crop outcomes.
- Compare results with suitable baseline data.
- Publish clear findings for review and future decisions.
This process will show what works, what fails and what needs improvement. It will also define the limits of each method.
Built for Practical Australian Evidence
Purpose-Built Infrastructure
Nomia plans controlled nesting beds, protected breeding areas and year-round flowering feedstock. Therefore, researchers can test conditions in a repeatable way.
Measured Agricultural Outcomes
The program will track survival, reproduction, crop visits and pollination results. In addition, it will assess cost, operating effort and potential farm use.
Responsible Scale-Up
Nomia will not assume that a small trial can support national deployment. Instead, each stage must pass clear evidence and governance checks.
Why Native Bees Matter
Australia has many native bee species, and most follow different life cycles from European honeybees. Many native species are solitary and nest in soil, timber or plant stems.
Ground-nesting solitary bees also lack the colony brood system that Varroa uses in European honeybee hives.
Biological incompatibility with Varroa does not prove agricultural value.
The real test is whether suitable species can deliver useful and repeatable pollination outcomes.
That is why the Nomia Program combines biology with engineering, measurement and farm-scale testing.
A National Program With Clear Limits
Nomia is not promising guaranteed yield gains. It is building the evidence needed to judge a new pollination pathway.
The work may confirm strong opportunities for some crops. It may also show limits for certain species, climates or farming systems.
Either result has value. Good evidence helps Australia invest wisely and avoid unsupported claims.
Support Australia’s Native Bee Pollination Program
Building Australian native bee pollination evidence requires infrastructure, fieldwork, monitoring and scientific review.
Support for Nomia helps develop the practical knowledge needed for future decisions. Ultimately, the goal is stronger farm resilience, regional stability and national food security.
Government Evidence: The Damage Is Already Being Felt
Government authorities have documented serious threats to farm productivity, food production and Australia’s agricultural economy.
View the evidence below.