(CN) — Pollinator species — responsible for the propagation of more than 75% of crops and plants — are facing dramatic declines due to pesticide use and climate change, and could represent a threat to the world’s food supply, according to a new study released Monday.
In the study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, international researchers created the world’s first planetary risk index demonstrating how pollinator species have declined in six regions around the world and what the resulting effects of such losses may be.
“What happens to pollinators could have huge knock-on effects for humanity,” said Lynn Dicks from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. “These small creatures play central roles in the world’s ecosystems, including many that humans and other animals rely on for nutrition. If they go, we may be in serious trouble.”
These pollinator species — such as bees, hummingbirds and butterflies — are rapidly decreasing in population due to habitat destruction, land management techniques and pesticides.
“Perhaps the biggest direct risk to humans across all regions is ‘crop pollination deficit’: falls in quantity and quality of food and biofuel crops,” the researchers said in a statement. “Experts ranked the risk of crop yield ‘instability’ as serious or high across two-thirds of the planet – from Africa to Latin America – where many rely directly on pollinated crops through small-holder farming.”
“Crops dependent on pollinators fluctuate more in yield than, for example, cereals,” Dicks said. “Increasingly unusual climatic phenomena, such as extreme rainfall and temperature, are already affecting crops. Pollinator loss adds further instability – it’s the last thing people need.”
The researchers cited a 2016 report that found an up to 300% increase in food production that relies on pollinators, worth as much as $577 billion.
“We are in the midst of a species extinction crisis, but for many people that is intangible. Perhaps pollinators are the bellwether of mass extinction,” Dicks said.
The scientists noted that the loss of “managed pollinators” like industrial beehives could pose serious risks to North America, where such pollinators help advance crops such as apples and almonds.
"This study highlights just how much we still don’t know about pollinator decline and the impacts this has on human societies, particularly in parts of the developing world,” said Tom Breeze, co-author from the University of Reading in the U.K. “While we have data on how pollinators are doing in regions like Europe, there are significant knowledge gaps in many others. More research is needed on a global level so we can really understand the problems we face, and how we might address them."
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.
Additional Reads
-
-
Shell, climate activists wrap appeal of landmark Dutch case April 12, 2024
