<p>Addressing the problem of insect pollinator declines has necessitated an understanding of farmers’ attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of pollinators and pollination services. In this study, we first summarize findings from existing research on pollination knowledge systems and identify patterns in methodological approaches and resulting conclusions. Our analysis reveals an epistemological dissonance; scholarly depictions oscillate between a proto-environmental conservationist ethic associated with indigenous knowledge systems on the one hand, and a dangerous ignorance associated with farmers’ knowledge systems on the other hand, particularly for the Global South. We then interrogate this dissonance through an analysis of interviews we conducted with 20 apple farmers in Uttarakhand, India. We find that farmers are neither ignorant of pollinators and pollination, nor are they pollinator conservationists. While the literature on farmers’ knowledge systems identifies lack of knowledge as a key problem and proposes education and awareness campaigns as the main solution to pollinator conservation challenges, our respondents acknowledge the value of pollinators and pollination services, know what needs to be done to protect pollinators, and understand the constraints they face in doing so. Ignorance is not what forestalls conservation efforts; material constraints do. Thus, awareness and education programs that are widely recommended as solutions to a purported knowledge deficit might fail to achieve the intended conservation outcomes.</p>